In a recent article for the Boston Review, Samuel Bowles challenges philosopher Sue Sypnowich’s call for an “equal flourishing” approach to societal inequality. Bowles’s counter argument is that simply expanding opportunities is not enough to combat intergenerational inequality. This is because those with advantages in society can provide their children with the benefits needed to succeed, leading to a continued advantage. Additionally, American society places a strong cultural emphasis on individualism, which makes it difficult to convince people to support mandates on flourishing in one specific direction.
Bowles suggests that instead of focusing on expanding opportunities, the United States should look to the Nordic countries where stronger government interventions in the market and heavy taxation have led to more equal human flourishing. These countries prioritize public goods, including healthcare, housing, and guaranteed employment, all of which Bowles suggests is more likely to gain widespread support in the US than Marxist-flavored egalitarianism.
The US overwhelmingly prefers expanding opportunities for upward mobility to equalizing outcomes as they see unequal outcomes as undermining equal opportunity rather than being immoral or injurious. The Nordic countries operate on different values, including the idea that a flourishing society rests on the well-being of all its residents. They believe that ensuring equal outcomes instead of just expanding opportunities is key to a stable and prosperous society.
Bowles points out that an agenda focused on public goods has had success in the US recently, with policies such as the Affordable Care Act, which has helped millions of Americans access healthcare. A focus on these issues, rather than Marxist-flavored egalitarianism, should be the future of the US approach to combatting inequality.
Overall, Bowles suggests that American society needs a fundamental shift in its values before it can fully embrace a policymaking approach centered on egalitarianism. The Nordic countries could serve as a model for this shift, though it will require a significant shift in values for the US to adopt these policies successfully.
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