Dworkin's Equality Theory Study

This thesis is focusing on Dworkin's theory of equality. Last century, in sixties and seventies American society was characterized by turbulence and intranquility. A war to Viet Nam intensified many social contradictions in America. In ideology field, liberalism had been attacked gravely. However , in this period, the American populace insisted that they should have more rights. Because of these, Dworkin began to engage in introspection and pointed out that the causes were confrontation between right and power. So Dworkin advanced a new concept abstract equality right and advocated the government should treat the citizens equally as equal ones.The content of abstract equality right is explained as two requirements, the first one is the government should treat citizens as equal ones and the second one is the government should treat citizens equally. The first requirement is the basic one and the first one derives the second one. Abstract equality right is the foundation of any specific rights. Dworkin's theory of equality is based on abstract equality right. Specially speaking, Dworkin based his equality theory upon two principles, the principle of equal importance and the principle of special responsibility. According to these two principles, Dworkin put forward to the famous Equality of ResourcesThe specific imagination is the auction and invented insurance market Dworkin invented an ideal pattern for primary distribution, the desert island. On this island, everybody can obtain equal quantities of resources. By auction, everyone can get resources that want and nobody envies other' s resources. At this time, envy test has been realized. But the equal state must be destroyed by repeated business. How to deal with this situation? Dworkin conceives an insurance market. On this market, people can make a choice freely when facing accidental elements, such as talent, social external environment and etc. According to principle of special responsibility, everyone should be responsible for his choices and shoulder the responsibilities.Any theory contains limitations. Equality of resources is no exception. Many scholars have questioned the theory. In the later articles, Dworkin has criticized Equality of Farewell,...