Sufficientarianism and incommensurability

Philosophical Studies 181 (12):3439-3458 (2024)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

This paper proposes a sufficientarian theory with an interval of sufficiency levels. I assume that there are upper and lower bounds of sufficiency and that all well-being levels in between can be considered sufficiency levels. This interval reflects the vagueness of the concept of sufficiency. According to the proposed principle, a distribution is morally better than another if and only if, for each threshold within the interval, the headcount of those below the threshold under the former distribution is smaller than that under the latter distribution. This necessarily leads to incommensurability in moral relations. I argue that such incommensurability makes sufficientarian principles invulnerable to some fundamental objections.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 103,401

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

What is Wrong with Sufficiency?Lasse Nielsen - 2019 - Res Publica 25 (1):21-38.
Sufficiency and the Distribution of Burdens.Robert Huseby - forthcoming - Ethics, Policy and Environment.
Why Sufficientarianism is not Indifferent to Taxation.Philipp Kanschik - 2015 - Kriterion - Journal of Philosophy 29 (2):81-102.
Sufficiency and the Threshold Question.Robert Huseby - 2020 - The Journal of Ethics 24 (2):207-223.
Political Equality and Political Sufficiency.Adrian Blau - 2023 - Moral Philosophy and Politics 10 (1):23-46.
Sufficiency and Satiable Values.Lasse Nielsen - 2019 - Journal of Applied Philosophy 36 (5):800-816.

Analytics

Added to PP
2024-03-13

Downloads
26 (#892,543)

6 months
9 (#328,796)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Citations of this work

Incommensurability and population-level bioethics.Anders Herlitz - 2024 - Philosophical Studies 181 (12):3219-3234.

Add more citations

References found in this work

A Theory of Justice: Revised Edition.John Rawls - 1999 - Harvard University Press.
Why We Should Reject S.Derek Parfit - 1984 - In Reasons and Persons. Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press.
A theory of human motivation.A. H. Maslow - 1943 - Psychological Review 50 (4):370-396.
Equality and priority.Derek Parfit - 1997 - Ratio 10 (3):202–221.
Equality as a moral ideal.Harry Frankfurt - 1987 - Ethics 98 (1):21-43.

View all 32 references / Add more references