What Is 'Fair'? | 5 Minute Video

“Fairness” has become a Progressive obsession. The childhood lament, “it’s not fair!” is now a common refrain among many adults. No political discussion seems complete without someone insisting that the wealthy pay "their fair share.” But what does anybody mean by “fair”? In this video, social commentator Daniel Hannan attempts to answer this critically important question.

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Script:

Life isn’t fair.

And you know what? It can’t be.

Here’s the problem: The word “fair” doesn’t mean “justice” or “equity” or, indeed, anything very specific. Instead, it’s become a sort of all-purpose statement of moral superiority—superiority tinged, paradoxically, with victimhood.

Now, fairness does have an exact meaning in certain contexts. For example, if we’re playing a game, fairness means that the rules should be applied impartially. When we are kids and our parents and teachers set the rules, the word still has that essential meaning: it’s a young person’s way of demanding what we might call “equality before the law.” But as we get older, the word becomes more of a whine. In the mouth of a teenager—trust me on this—“it’s not fair” means, more often than not, “You won’t let me do something I want!”

In recent years, though, something odd has happened. Adults have started using the word in much the same way that teenagers do. More than in any previous generation, people today retain their teenage sense of self-centeredness. They use “it’s not fair” as a catch-all complaint, as an assertion of wounded entitlement.

Look at a Google graph of the use of the word “fairness.” From around 1965 it looks like the proverbial hockey stick—flat and then it suddenly shoots up.

We’ve developed a “fairness” obsession.

But what do we mean when we use that word? Do we mean “justice”? Do we mean “equality”? Do we mean “need”? Or do we mean something else?

Suppose you and Jane buy a cake together. You pay $6, and Jane pays $4. What would be the “fair” way to split it up? You could do it on the basis of proportionality—in other words, you get 60 percent of the cake and Jane gets 40 percent. Or you could do it on the basis of strict egalitarianism—half each, regardless of who paid what. Or you could do it on the basis of wealth. Jane has much less money than you for non-essentials like cake, so maybe she should get the larger share.

A case can be made for each approach. But the beauty of the word “fair” is that it doesn’t require you to come down clearly in favor of any of them. It gives you the cover of ambiguity.

So, for example, when a politician says, “We want the rich to pay their fair share,” he doesn’t usually mean that he wants the rich to pay taxes at the same rate as everyone else. He means that he wants them to pay extra. The word “fair” lets him present higher rates of taxation as a form of justice. But only if we don’t think about it too hard.

That’s the beauty of it. “Fair” doesn’t ultimately mean “proportionate” or “impartial” or “equal.” You can use it to mean almost any positive thing you like.

“I want fairness” generally means “Look at me—I’m a nice person.” Demanding fairness lets you tell the world how decent you are without your actually having to contribute a penny. It’s a kind of vanity: “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

Let’s get real. The only just way to distribute the cake is to see how much people are prepared to pay for their slice.

[GenUrobutcher]

It's so ironic when Communists say that it is "fair" to be entitled to another person's money, but it is "greed" to keep my hard earned money.

[allmightyass]

Fair means not having to pay for someone else’s choices or mistakes

[treasurecave]

You get a "fair", you get a " Fair" And you get a "fair"....everyone gets a "

[johnpeters]

been asking that question for years... what is fair.. never got an answer till now....well done, someone forward this to Bernie Sanders....

[juliomattos]

Farness is equality of opportunities for everyone, opportunities only.

[ankitwawage]

This is the most true thing I heard in today's world.

[mitchjruiz]

Perfect example: My brother and I grew up in the exact same household. Had the same exact upbringing, had excellent parents that are still together to this day.

We literally had the exact same opportunities growing up.

However, I decided I wanted quality friends and to put myself through college. Whereas he was more interested in hanging out with burnouts, not saving his money, and he dropped out of school in 10th grade.

Now he's a 38 year old with two kids living in my parents basement, whereas I am a 31 year old that lives on his own and has a small business and just turned our first six figure year. Guess which one of us blames everyone else and blames the world just isn't "fair"?

Also, you guessed it, he's a lunatic Democrat where I lean more to the Republican side of things.

We live in the United States of America, where we only get out as much as we put in.

[ElValuador]

Should 5% appear too small
Be thankful I don’t take it all
Taxman by The Beatles

[laurabeane]

You'd be surprised how many people misinterpret "ALL'S fair in love and war"...

[callumhardy]

I’m a teenager and let me tell you I would never use the expression “its not fair” and I understand the difference between fair, justice and equality.

[mygoldfishrocks]

"A fine is a tax for doing bad, and a tax is a fine for doing well '
-Chinese fortune cookie

[pamelapainter]

And they asked “what is wrong with giving everyone a trophy?” That is where it started.

[OceanAce]

"Its unfair. How can you be on the Jedi counsel without being a Jedi Master?"

[bethany]

That video held like ten mic-drop moments. Absolutely enlightening.

[deeshannongarrison]

There is such a thing as fair. It doesn't mean everybody gets a trophy and free money from the government. Fair means that cops aren't above the law, politicians have to live by the laws they make, corporations can't buy off politicians and judges, court trials aren't won by the richest party, pharmaceutical companies can't raise drug prices by 400%, etc. etc. etc. There is a level of unfairness in this country that should not exist and something should be done about it.

[JoniukasVader]

Fair is a place where people judge pigs.

[personablank]

I think the best definition of fair that I have seen can be summed up in this quote from a webnovel.


"The prerequisite of fairness is efficiency. If one thing fails to achieve the goal, it could not be called as fair. The purpose of the imperial examination system in the mortal world is to select people who are erudite and capable. Therefore, it is fair to be an official through study, and it is unfair to spend money to buy an official post. But if it is in the auction, it is fair for the one who bid the highest get the item." (Once upon a time there was a spirit sword mountain, chapter 592)


Therefore I believe that determining fairness requires a goal. If we decide the market's goal is to ensure people are properly compensated for their labor and the products that are produced than a completely free market is not the best solution. This is largely because of the presence of dishonesty and corruption. Markets can and have historically lied about the products they sell (Addictive drugs in medicine and food). From a free market perspective, this could theoretically be resolved by reviews and companies that rate and recommend products. However, companies have been shown to be very capable of manipulating information.


In this cases like these the government should intervene as its officials while still capable of being corrupt have an incentive to not do so as they can be removed by the will of the people who put them there. Now we run into another problem, these government offices cost money and many people who stand to benefit from it are paying nothing. Now this creates a new conflict as the government is clearly unable to meet the initial goals of the market. Therefore we can continue to try to make the government's goal the same as the market (like how Chinese government owned businesses compete with Private business) or change the goal of the government. Thus we have conflicts over the government's goal and how best to meet it.


I will stop here as this can go on forever with no final answer. My point is that while I respect and often agree with the principles and ideas behind PragerU's solutions/suggestions I find that they often tend to give a solution as it is the only solution without offering opposing viewpoints or straw manning the opposition when they do.


If anyone has any suggestions on how to resolve the dilemma of fairness or disagrees with my opinions please give me a reply and sorry for the long comment.

[normanvaliao]

My mom always use to say to me - "Who says life is fair? It never did and it won't be." As I grew older I realize that, that was true. Because if it was fair, everybody is living in a dreamland. You make your own destiny and only you can make your dreams come true. You work hard for it in order to get what you want. You earn it. Stop whining that it isn't fair because it won't.

[dovakeen]

I remember as a kid a story about a duck that wanted to bake some bread. She asked the pig to help her with cutting the grain. The pig didn't want to help. She went to the bunny, she didn't want to help. She went to the goat, he didn't want to help. So she took all day to make the bread and everyone wanted to eat the loaf when she was done. But she said no none of you did anything to deserve this, why should i let you benefit at no sacrifice from you. I like that story alot more seeing all the entitled babies in this generation.

[travisadams]

"The only way to measure the economic value of a service is to see how much others are prepared to pay for it." This is why we should do away with Public schools and encourage "charter schools" Let the tax dollars follow the child not the school districts.