Dr. Seuss and Philosophy - Jacob M. Held [120]
The idea is to consider what kind of system of justice we would endorse if we did not know what our place in society would be. If I am in fact a Star-Bellied Sneetch, I might for selfish reasons endorse a society in which those with stars get more benefits than those with bare bellies. But if I had to choose before I knew whether I would have a star on my belly or not, then I would certainly choose a more equitable division of goods.
So the trick is to put ourselves, hypothetically, in the position of not knowing anything about ourselves ahead of time in order to decide the fairest way of distributing goods. We wouldn’t know, for instance, if we would be born into poor families or would become disabled sometime during our lives or if we might not be quite talented enough to achieve a higher-paying, skilled job. Since any of us might wind up in such situations, we would probably agree to a society that ensures that all have at least their basic needs met, such as food, clothing, shelter, and perhaps education and health care, and a society in which all have both the liberty and opportunity to better themselves.
This doesn’t necessarily mean everyone gets an equal share of everything. We would probably be willing to allow some inequalities to exist, if those inequalities wind up helping the less fortunate along with the more fortunate. For instance, since a relatively free market provides the incentive of increased wealth to hard workers and innovative entrepreneurs, a free market encourages the production of more goods, which ultimately means more for society as a whole, although it does mean that some people will earn more than others. So we might accept such inequalities since a high tide floats all boats. However, in the original position we also realize that some accident might befall us during our lives or that we might be born less clever, less capable of hard work, or simply not lucky enough to be born into wealthy, successful, or otherwise privileged families. We would have to consider the possible outcome of being disadvantaged or otherwise historically disenfranchised. So we would want to make sure that some goods get redistributed to those who may not benefit from a free-market economy. Especially since not all people are equal in the eyes of the free market and so often one’s chances of success hinge on characteristics beyond one’s control. This means that while we might wind up with something approximating a free market, which acknowledges property rights, we would probably also agree to a method of redistributing wealth in order to have some basic safety nets built in to ensure that everyone has at least their minimum needs met and rights guaranteed, as well as a somewhat level playing field in order to achieve equal opportunity.
If we didn’t know whether we were going to wind up as Mayzie or Horton, what kind of system of distributive justice would we choose? Would it be the kind of system in which Horton the hard-working elephant gets the egg, or Mayzie the lazy mother bird? Before we answer, we must also remember that we could wind up in the place of the newly hatched elephant-bird.
He who thinks he has all of the answers is dumb
But asking hard questions can often bring wisdom.
The question, “Whose egg is it, really?” has no clear answer. In several of his works, Dr. Seuss has raised questions of property and distributive justice in a way that even a child can understand. How should goods be distributed in a society? What is a fair division of labor? How should markets