Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

139 | Elizabeth Anderson on Equality, Work, and Ideology

Mar 22, 2021

01:19:16

Snipd AI

Discussing the complexities of equality and fairness, philosopher Elizabeth Anderson challenges societal norms. The conversation delves into work ethics, capitalism, and the idea of a leisure society. Exploring ideologies, empathy, distributive justice, and the balance between freedom and equality. Examining the concept of self-employment, labor conditions, modern employers' influence, 'bullshit jobs,' and social responsibility in big tech companies.

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Quick takeaways

Creating open opportunity structures for individuals to develop capabilities is crucial for true equality.

Addressing problematic inequalities at a structural level requires flattening hierarchies of honor and stigma.

The discrepancy between the ideal of self-employment and hierarchical organizational structures illuminates workplace power dynamics.

Deep dives

Critiquing Equality of Opportunity

Equality of opportunity is often hailed as a desirable concept, but the podcast delves into questioning its validity. The discussion challenges the conventional definition, which ties equal opportunity to innate abilities or merits. Instead, the emphasis shifts to creating open opportunity structures that allow individuals to develop capabilities and pursue various pathways. The narrative highlights the complexity of measuring inner potential and the importance of educational environments in fostering growth.

Introduction

5min

Understanding Ideology and Empathy

13min

Enhancing Writing Skills with Grammarly Premium and Alma Mater Conversation

2min

Balancing Equality and Freedom: The Challenge of Distributive Justice

20min

Exploring the Ideal of Universal Self-Employment and the Reality of Modern Organizations

6min

Exploring Hierarchies, Free Market Concepts, and Social Safety Nets

3min

Language Learning App Advertisement Leading to Labor Conditions Discussion

2min

Exploring the Modern Employers' Influence

17min

Exploring 'Bullshit Jobs' and the Evolution of Work Ethic

11min

10.

Empowering Workers and Social Responsibility in Big Tech Companies

3min

Imagine two people with exactly the same innate abilities, but one is born into a wealthy family and the other is born into poverty. Or two people born into similar circumstances, but one is paralyzed in a freak accident in childhood while the other grows up in perfect health. Is this fair? We live in a society that values some kind of “equality” — “All men are created equal” — without ever quite specifying what we mean. Elizabeth Anderson is a leading philosopher of equality, and we talk about what really matters about this notion. This leads to down-to-earth issues about employment and the work ethic, and how it all ties into modern capitalism. We end up agreeing that a leisure society would be great, but at the moment there’s plenty of work to be done.

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Elizabeth Anderson received a Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University. She is currently the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and John Dewey Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan. Among her honors are the MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was named by Prospect magazine as one of the top 50 thinkers of the Covid-19 era.

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