‘SOCIAL JUSTICE’ AND EQUALITY
The concept of "social justice" often means striving for equality, suggesting that any differences in what people earn or own need to be explained by a common benefit. However, this idea is not accurate when it comes to market earnings, which are not rewards decided by anyone in charge. Instead, these earnings come from a complicated situation where no one knows all the factors involved.
People often think that income differences should be based on effort or talent, but this view does not apply well in societies where success is influenced by a mix of skills, luck, and unexpected events. In a true free market, the government's role is to keep order and not to redistribute wealth based on fairness or merit. The current push for equality can clash with the need for the government to treat everyone according to the same rules, while also considering that individuals are very different from one another.
If a government tries to ensure everyone has the same material wealth, it would need to treat people unequally because their abilities and situations vary. This could lead to a system where the government tells people what jobs to do, based on what it thinks is necessary, rather than letting individuals choose based on their skills and preferences. Under such a system, people might lose their freedom as they would have to follow orders from those in power.
While it’s easy to see the effects of a free market as unfair, it is wrong to blame someone for these differences. In a free society, what individuals have or earn is not the result of a plan but is shaped by many different actions and circumstances. Understanding this is key to realizing that trying to enforce equal wealth for everyone is unrealistic, as no one can control all the complex relationships that lead to these outcomes.
The concept of "social justice" often means striving for equality, suggesting that any differences in what people earn or own need to be explained by a common benefit. However, this idea is not accurate when it comes to market earnings, which are not rewards decided by anyone in charge. Instead, these earnings come from a complicated situation where no one knows all the factors involved.
People often think that income differences should be based on effort or talent, but this view does not apply well in societies where success is influenced by a mix of skills, luck, and unexpected events. In a true free market, the government's role is to keep order and not to redistribute wealth based on fairness or merit. The current push for equality can clash with the need for the government to treat everyone according to the same rules, while also considering that individuals are very different from one another.
If a government tries to ensure everyone has the same material wealth, it would need to treat people unequally because their abilities and situations vary. This could lead to a system where the government tells people what jobs to do, based on what it thinks is necessary, rather than letting individuals choose based on their skills and preferences. Under such a system, people might lose their freedom as they would have to follow orders from those in power.
While it’s easy to see the effects of a free market as unfair, it is wrong to blame someone for these differences. In a free society, what individuals have or earn is not the result of a plan but is shaped by many different actions and circumstances. Understanding this is key to realizing that trying to enforce equal wealth for everyone is unrealistic, as no one can control all the complex relationships that lead to these outcomes.