4 Growth, inequality, and unfairness
Comparing the progressive and classical liberal perspectives
I. Introduction
Contemporary discussions of inequality are full of challenges, from different people using words differently, to the finer points of knowing and interpreting economic data, to the relative roles of ethical and social scientific perspectives in how we understand the issues in play. Many such discussions also move back and forth between concerns about inequality per se and poverty. An implicit assumption made by many intellectuals troubled by rising inequality is that it is linked with an increase in poverty, or at least a stagnation of middle-class and working-class incomes or material well-being. That is, they are ...
