Essay on Elizabeth Anderson and Democratic Equality PDF

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Ibrahim 1 Omar Ibrahim Prof. Ryan Griffiths PHI 3050 NFA November 19, 2019 Elizabeth Anderson, a noted social, political philosopher as well as public intellectual, is well-renowned for her in-depth examination and analysis of this philosophical concept that is democratic equality, which “aims to abolish socially created oppression” along with her assertion that it is a relational theory of equality, whereby two people are viewed as equal participants in this social relationship, entitled to the same “mutual consultation, reciprocation, and recognition for granted” (p. 313). Furthermore, Anderson makes the claim that society should retain this ideal as their fundamental goal, yet the growing discussion being had on the issue of democracy and social justice gave the vague impression that there is this underlying tension between the values of freedom and equality. Arguably, it is this burden to conceive of a balance between the two that has impeded the establishment of a free and fair society, where all its members can fully exercise their individual rights and are all equally subject to the social norms and legal system under which they reside. Anderson’s understanding of democratic equality is predicated on moving society forward via egalitarianism, the absence and/or negation of equal rights and treatment for all members of society, as well as the critique of the deeply ingrained social, economic, and political hierarchies that she observed not only in the workplace, but something which extended outwards into the greater whole of society. Accordingly, these systems of inequality, which can be considered in terms of race, religion, class etc. are social constructs brought about to divide various social groups and will remain in place so long as people accept the status quo as is and

Ibrahim 2 reaffirm its legitimacy through inaction. From there, Anderson suggests that without the necessary moral outrage to ferment social activism and reformist movements to persistently challenge the ongoing oppression, then those that occupy a higher station in society will continue to alienate those at the bottom, as well as between them, and ultimately contributing to social tensions and civil disorder. To prevent this, society ought to acknowledge that there is both implicit and explicit discrimination in favor of those with the means to succeed in society and against those without; and they must also do better to promote more equitable practices and overcome the structural oppression on which society today is founded upon. She mentions her own lived experience as a middle-class white woman and witnessing self-segregation in progress by different social groups, especially in more urban centers i.e. New York, Chicago etc. than suburban or rural areas. Democratic equality, if it were to be applied in real-world conditions, would necessitate a shift in the current social, economic, and political climate of the country and through raising awareness of such pervasive inequalities do we as individuals finally recognize the potential for a more egalitarian and equitable society where everyone gets to fully enjoy the same freedoms and privileges offered up. In the case of housing segregation, Anderson contends that, from her own personal experience delving into the housing market, white neighborhoods typically have access to a greater number of resources, and of a higher quality, than nonwhite neighborhoods: thereby, pricing them out and maintaining the racial and socioeconomic homogeneity of these neighborhoods. Looking at this situation from a bigger picture. Still further, the sheer amount of red tape a nonwhite family must have to go through just to secure a mortgage, with the higher risk of rejection due to factors such as credit score, trustworthiness etc., makes the whole endeavor seem futile. Fortunately, Anderson points out that while such injustices are routine, it is

Ibrahim 3 not impossible to strive towards a society that is fairer to the oppressed with the values of liberty and equality as yardsticks for social progress. To summarize, Elizabeth Anderson scrutinizes this concept of democratic equality and what it entails to both the individual members of a society and society as a whole. She goes on to articulate the strategies by which democratic equality can be achieved e.g. social activism, reformist movements, public discussions, and consciousness-raising techniques to spread awareness about the social, economic, and political hierarchies that have fed into these systems of social oppression. Most importantly, Anderson makes mention of how it’ll be a matter of time and patience before any verifiable results are made, but that should only encourage us to do our own part in making the world a better place for everyone. (729)...