Economics2075 LogicandLimitsofEconomicJustice BarnardCollege Spring2012 Mr.

Andrews NotesonEconomicJusticeandAffirmativeAction These notes summarize the economic analysis of affirmative action thereby setting the stageforyournextexercise. Iwantmakesurethatyougoodfolksunderstandsomethingthatisfrequentlyno,habitu allymisunderstoodbythevastmajorityofpeoplewhotalkaboutaffirmativeaction: supportfororoppositiontoaffirmativeactioncannotbeseparatedfromdeeperquestions ofeconomicjustice,includingtheproperrangeofmarkets,theroleofthebirthlotteryin theallocationofeconomicopportunity,thelongreachofstatemanagedorstatesupported foundationalsocialcrimesslavery,apartheid,genocide,forcedmigrationandpopulation removal,militaryquarantineofpopulations,genderfeudalismorthedestructiveconse quencesofsocialcustomsthatunderminethecapacityofhumanbeingstomakegoodlives for themselves (the destructive effects of gender feudalism and the culturally and reli giouslysanctionedabuseofwomenfallsintothislattercategory).Isaydeeperquestions ofeconomicjusticebecauseanalyticaleconomicssuggeststhatmostdebateaboutaffirma tiveactionisthecirculationofnonsensedressedupinoutrage. Thedebateaboutaffirmativeactionshieldsallinvolvedfromthetrulyhardproblemof structuralinequalitiesthatgrantsomepeopleaccesstowonderfulliveswhilelockingoth ersintopermanent,souldestroyingmiserybecauseofthewayNature,nurtureandmarket systemsallocateopportunityandpain.Noneofthiswouldbeaproblemifchildrendidnot comeintotheworldhelplessandrequiringyearsoflovingcareaswellastheintelligent andlongterminvestmentofdevelopmentalresourcestoturnthemintomorallyandeco nomiccompetentadults.Theopponentsofaffirmativeactionareliarsormuchworse iftheypretendthatthisquestionofjustformsofhumandevelopmentcanbedodged.The proponentsofaffirmativeactionareliarsorworseiftheypretendthatthedemandsof justiceareevenfaintlyaddressedbythegovernmentmanagedidentitybasedallocationof opportunitywithoutalsofacingupthestubbornfactsofhumandevelopment. Forexample,aproperunderstandingofeconomicscombinedwithclassicalliberalprinci plesofjusticearguesagainstaffirmativeactionbecausetherearelargerprinciplesofjus ticeatstake:statesareforbiddentousepublicpowertoredistributeincome,wealthor opportunityonthebasisofidentitybecauseoftheprinciplethatallpersonsaretobe treatedequallybeforethelaw.Thisstrongandabsolutelyvitalprincipleofjusticeone sharedbyallspeciesofliberalsrunssmackintoitselfifeducationiseitherfundedby taxesorprovidedviapubliceducationsystemsbecauseequaltreatmentbeforethelaw

justiceareevenfaintlyaddressedbythegovernmentmanagedidentitybasedallocationof opportunitywithoutalsofacingupthestubbornfactsofhumandevelopment.
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Forexample,aproperunderstandingofeconomicscombinedwithclassicalliberalprinci plesofjusticearguesagainstaffirmativeactionbecausetherearelargerprinciplesofjus ticeatstake:statesareforbiddentousepublicpowertoredistributeincome,wealthor opportunityonthebasisofidentitybecauseoftheprinciplethatallpersonsaretobe treatedequallybeforethelaw.Thisstrongandabsolutelyvitalprincipleofjusticeone sharedbyallspeciesofliberalsrunssmackintoitselfifeducationiseitherfundedby taxesorprovidedviapubliceducationsystemsbecauseequaltreatmentbeforethelaw must then require genuine equal opportunity to achieve success. The meaning of the phraseequalopportunityisincrediblydifficultpreciselybecausetherealissueisequal opportunitytodowhat?Dowemeanequallevelsofspendingonallchildrenoverthe entirecourseoftheprecollegiatecareers?Thatrequiresquiteradicalredistributivetaxa tionandexpenditurepoliciessolongasweinsistonanotherbasicjusticeprinciple,namely thatthebirthlotteryismorallyillegitimate.Dowemeanthechildrenshouldhaveareal equalchanceofsuccessinacademiccompetition?Ifso,thenwemustengageinnotjust radicalredistributionbutapatternofeducationalspendingandprovisionthatfavorsthe youngfromthepoorestperformingsocialgroups,deliberatelydiscriminatingagainstthe youngfromhigherperforminggroupsonthebasisofidentity.Intellectuallyhonestclassi calandegalitarianliberalsacknowledgethetrickynatureofequalopportunityaswellas thefactthatanychosendefinitionwilleitherignoreoractivelylimitthechancesofbetter offormorecapablepopulationsforthebenefitofstrugglingpopulations,therebytreating somepeopleunfairlytopromoteaggregatefairnessbecauseeconomicresourcesarescarce andanyformofjusticeasidefromlibertarianjusticerequiressomeformofmaterialequal ity.Rawlsianjusticeinsiststhatwefaceuptotheissueofequalopportunitybychoosing theapproachthatmaximizesthewellbeingoftheleastwelloffchildreninsocietywhile mostclassicalliberalsfavorlessradicalformsofequalopportunity,whentheydontjust runawayfromtheissue. Alibertariangetsaroundthisproblembysimplysayingnotoanyformofredistribution inexcessofthatrequiredforbaresocialorder,therebyleavingthedevelopmentprospects ofchildrencompletelytothevagariesofthebirthlotteryatthecostofanypossibilitythat thepoorandstrugglingmembersofsocietycaneverseethesocialcontractaslegitimate. The liberatrian must therefore rely on violence police, prisons, economic, racial and ethnicprofilingofsuspectpopulations,andotherformsofstatepowertocontrolthe predictable consequences of persistent economic and social inequality, thereby using a virtualpolicestatetocontrolthesocialconsequencesofafreemarketsystem.Intellectu allyhonestlibertariansunlikemostcollegiatelibertariansunderstandthattheirvision ofafreesocietyissupportedbyabrutalpolicestatethatsupervisesandintimidatesthe losersineconomicandacademiccompetition.Thisironyisnotlostonnoncollegelibertari ans,anditisnotsomethingtheyareremotelyproudofbutinsteadclaim,withincredible sadness,thatfreedomrequiresmassivesufferingatthebottomofsociety. Economicstellsusthatthedebateaboutaffirmativeactionisnotaboutaffirmativeaction atall,butisinsteadreallyasideshowthatinvariablyleadstoamuchmorebrutalfightover what a society does about structural economic inequality. There are really only two options:definesomeformofequalopportunityandthenfaceuptotheneedforeither substantialorradicalformsofredistributionwhichstillleavesquestionsofhowtoredis

Affirmative Action and Justice.nb

ofafreesocietyissupportedbyabrutalpolicestatethatsupervisesandintimidatesthe losersineconomicandacademiccompetition.Thisironyisnotlostonnoncollegelibertari ans,anditisnotsomethingtheyareremotelyproudofbutinsteadclaim,withincredible3 Affirmative Action and Justice.nb sadness,thatfreedomrequiresmassivesufferingatthebottomofsociety. Economicstellsusthatthedebateaboutaffirmativeactionisnotaboutaffirmativeaction atall,butisinsteadreallyasideshowthatinvariablyleadstoamuchmorebrutalfightover what a society does about structural economic inequality. There are really only two options:definesomeformofequalopportunityandthenfaceuptotheneedforeither substantialorradicalformsofredistributionwhichstillleavesquestionsofhowtoredis tributeinwaysthatminimizetheeconomicefficiencylossesthatcomewithattemptsto promotejusticeorrelyoneconomicsegregationandstatesponsoredviolencetoprotect the welloff from the badly off as well as to control violence among the badly off (the inevitableandhorrifyingsideeffectofstructuralinequalityalltoooften,verypooryoung menattacktheirownoutoffrustrationornihilism,therebybecomingtheinadvertentbut veryeffectiveoppressorsofpoorfolks).Thesearetheonlychoicesavailable.