Running head: LIBERTY, RIGHTS, EQUALITY, AND JUSTICE

Liberty, Rights, Equality, and Justice

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The chapter ten of the book is vital as it is about the liberty, rights and libertarianism.

The themes in this chapter are what most people value in today’s life. Therefore, the reading

helps me understand that some people have a passion for commitment to individual liberty and

freedom. It is through this that the social deliberation protects freedom by enhancing welfare as

independent goals. The chapter is imperative as it explains how normative economics focuses in

welfare as most economists value freedom a lot. The approach used in the chapter was critical as

it helped me understand that most economist value selective liberties which are part of the

market life. These liberties include the freedom to change jobs, start a new business or even

move with in the country while looking for another job (Hausman, McPherson, & Satz, 2016).

The aspect of liberty is imperative in this chapter as it helps in explaining why people love

freedom.

It is interesting to learn that Pareto efficiency promotes liberty as it values outcome which

values voluntary choices of an individual. Through this, the author illustrates that people cannot

appreciate the importance set aside for homeless if they have never been homeless before

(Hausman, McPherson, & Satz, 2016). The statement is compelling as most people make

policies without considering a certain group of people. The approach used helps me understand

that efficiency has been part of scientific welfare as it appears to rely on uncontrolled moral

platforms. Based on the argument, the connection between efficiency is always considered as

very weak.

The chapter is imperative as it helps one understand that freedom is a relation between

three names namely an agent, obstacles and risks. Using the example of Karen, the reader can

understand that when it comes to purchasing, one has freedom to purchase whatever one wants.

However, if the buyer is stranded or in a location which is inaccessible such as an island, he or

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she has no freedom to purchase what she prefers (Hausman, McPherson, & Satz, 2016). The

approach used by the author helps me understand that freedom is helpful when there are no

various obstacles to various outcomes. For this reason, measures which enhance freedom of

one person at the same time restrict the freedom of another in economics. For instance, a

restriction on the freedom to smoke cigarette gives the other person to live in a smoke free

environment. The theme of freedom is interesting as I learnt that some freedoms are important

while others are not.

It is confusing to differentiate between liberty and freedom. The author uses an

approach which makes the two look similar. While distinguishing the concepts of freedom, the

aspect of liberty is integrated thus making it more confusing. For instance, the author states that

negative freedom is the freedom of people from obstacles which are voluntarily placed by other

people to do as individuals choose (Hausman, McPherson, & Satz, 2016). Using the word

freedom to define what negative liberty means is what confused me more. The author refers to

positive liberty as opportunities which are referred to as effective freedom.

The chapter eleven of the book is also interesting as it discusses in details equality and

egalitarianism. I learnt that human differ in various ways and the differences between various

human beings could be as a result of personal traits, circumstances or available resources. The

approach used of inequalities in wealth and income has tremendously grown in countries such

as the United States (Hausman, McPherson, & Satz, 2016). The inequalities experienced in

various countries have led to flashing debates all over the world. It is interesting when the author

states that meaning of equality is complex. For this reason, he uses an approach of how people

ban the laws of gay marriages based on equality grounds while at the same time people can

equally marry anyone of opposite sex.

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The issue about egalitarianism is also compelling. Through the reading, I was able to learn new

things which I had never learnt before through description of egalitarianism. The approach used

shows that economist interpret egalitarianism as a way of equalizing welfare within the society.

In addition, the equality of welfare is described as very unattractive in the eyes of economists. I

discovered that, it is through egalitarianism that can lead to absurd ethical conclusion (Hausman,

McPherson, & Satz, 2016). Egalitarians always believe that all people are equal and deserve

equal opportunities. This does not apply in today’s society as most people safeguard their own

interest and are very corrupt.

The chapter twelve of the reading is also imperative as it answers questions of justice

which are critical to economists. I leant that economists cannot decide what principles of

justice rely on by seeking advice from the public opinion. For instance, in the early days,

people always believed that women were inferior to men. Through this, everybody has

developed the mentality that women are inferior to men (Hausman, McPherson, & Satz, 2016).

The approach used helped one understand that the issue of justice is controversial and most

economist like to avoid such. I learnt that the libertarian and utilitarian moral theories relate also

to the theories of justice. The reading uses an approach which helps one understand that

principles of justice are those that people would rationally agree or reject.

The conclusion drawn from the reading is very compelling as it discusses how the ethics

play an important role in economics that how standard view does. The conclusion encourages

the reader to understand what ethics entails to understand the human actions. It also describes

how ethics plays a critical role both positive and normative economics. However, the conclusion

biased as it does not analyze some chapter of the book but focuses on the issue ethics. There was
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nothing left out during the reading as chapters discussed issues in details in a way that a reader

can understand.

References

Hausman, D., McPherson, M., & Satz, D. (2016). Economic analysis, moral philosophy, and

public policy. Cambridge University Press.