Egalitarianism and compassion

Abstract

In “Egalitarianism Defended,” Larry Temkin attempted to rebut criticisms I had made of egalitarianism in my article, “Equality, Priority, and Compassion.” Temkin’s response is interesting and illuminating, but, in this article, I shall claim that his arguments miss their target and that the failure of egalitarianism may have implications more serious than some have thought. (edited)