On equality and fairness

In his recent book 'A Brief History of Equality' Thomas Piketty shows that throughout history, society has been moving toward greater equality. Interviewed at the CEPR’s June 2022 Paris Symposium, he tells Tim Phillips that we should continue setting ambitious targets in education and political participation as this long-run movement is not over yet, and why policymakers should consider the consequences of inequality before they intervene.

[david]

The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal - Aristotle
Equality is not the same as fairness. Equality means that everyone is given the same opportunity, but it does not mean that everyone will achieve the same results. Fairness means that everyone is treated equally, but it does not mean that everyone is given the same opportunity. People should be treated fairly, regardless of their abilities or achievements.