Relocating the responsibility cut: should more responsibility imply less redistribution?

Abstract

Liberal egalitarian theories of justice argue that inequalities arising from non-responsibility factors should be eliminated, but that inequalities arising from responsibility factors should be accepted. This article discusses how the fairness argument for redistribution within a liberal egalitarian framework is affected by a relocation of the cut between responsibility and non-responsibility factors. The article also discusses the claim that equalization of some non-responsibility factors will reduce the ideal level of redistribution.