Economic inequality and a pluralistic distributive approach

• Grant number: 18/04606-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: June 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - Political Theory
• Principal Investigator: Álvaro de Vita
• Grantee: Nunzio Ali
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research intends to provide an interesting and original contribution on the current debate on the issue of economic inequality, and specifically to complement, complete and also challenge Piketty's analysis from the point of view of normative political theory. From this perspective it should explain, on the one hand, why an excessive economic inequality between the top 1% and the bottom 50% of distribution matters (a question that Piketty spends little time to answer), and on the other hand, which distributive strategy is the most adequate. First, this research argues that the 'democratic' objection to economic inequality is the most compelling reason that we can provide. According to the 'democratic' objection, excessive economic inequality can be a real threat for democratic institutions because it entails both procedural unfairness and oligarchic domination in both the political and economic spheres, and damages social status and self-respect of the individual. In this sense, this research shares normative and political commitments about economic inequality that are broadly Rawlsian. Second, this research opts for a pluralistic distributive approach that focuses on a set of distributive proposals concerning three broad areas: 1) wealth distribution and capital shared; 2) social security; and 3) progressive taxation. Therefore, this research does not focus on a fairly unrealistic 'global wealth tax', as Piketty seems to do, but instead investigates a plurality of tools combining redistribution with both public and private forms of capital and wealth predistribution as well as some forms of workplace democracy and an efficient social state. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALI, NUNZIO; CARANTI, LUIGI. How much economic inequality is fair in liberal democracies? The approach of proportional justice. PHILOSOPHY & SOCIAL CRITICISM, FEB 2021. (18/04606-4)

ALI, NUNZIO; CARANTI, LUIGI. How much economic inequality is fair in liberal democracies? The approach of proportional justice. PHILOSOPHY & SOCIAL CRITICISM, v. 47, n. 7, p. 20-pg., 2021-02-01. (18/04606-4)

NUNZIO ALÌ. Fair Equality of Opportunity and the Place for Individual Merit in a Liberal Democratic Society. Brazilian Political Science Review, v. 16, n. 1, 2021-12-15. (18/04606-4)