| Review of: | Levelling the Playing Field: The Idea of Equal Opportunity and its Place in Egalitarian Thought by Andrew Mason |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Peter Lamb |
| Reviewed in: | Political Studies Review |
| Date accepted online: | 14/01/2008 |
| Published in print: | Volume 05, Issue 03, Pages 395-474 |
Book Reviews: Political Theory
Andrew Mason offers a comprehensive study of the place of arguments for equality of opportunity in egalitarian thought. After a detailed introduction that provides a clear outline of the book's aims and structure, he gradually builds his argument for mitigation, rather than neutralisation, of the effects of differences in peoples' circumstances and natural endowments. Mason underpins his own argument with critical analysis of existing theories of equality of opportunity and also with a careful assessment of philosophical responses to the problems of social inequality.
Mason stresses the importance of maintaining or encouraging respect for human agency. Hence, his argument draws on a meritocratic, simple view of equality of opportunity, involving commitment to selecting the best-qualified candidates for work and higher education. However, this view is, he maintains, incomplete, as it is important to ensure that circumstances and endowments do not have an undue impact upon access to advantage. He advocates a basic skills principle, according to which people should receive an education that would enable everybody to gain skills that will give them an adequate range of options. This principle should, he suggests, be accompanied by an educational access principle to help ensure that different circumstances do not bring about a situation where some can gain access to advantage while others cannot. This, in turn, should be accompanied by an accumulation of wealth principle, holding that circumstances should not bring about a situation in which some, but not others, can gain resources that will enable them to lead a decent life without working. He concedes that his theory is complex, involving a range of principles that generally work together but sometimes conflict with one another. He stresses, however, that this is unavoidable given the nature of the issues involved. Simplicity, indeed, is not always useful when dealing with equality and justice.
Although this book is probably not the place for newcomers to political philosophy to gain their basic understanding of the issues surrounding equality, students who have read some introductory texts should not find