Incentives and the Justification of the Inheritance

ALEJANDRO BERROTARÁN

Melbourne

Workshop; First D(r)afts Workshop; 2019

Graduate Researchers' Association / Melbourne Law School / The University of Melbourne

The discussion between John Rawls and Gerard A. Cohen, and those who have continued their debate, has focused on whether income inequalities based on material incentives are justified. In this draft-paper I am going to reconstruct this discussion and focus on the so- called liberty objection that has been established against Cohen?s egalitarian ethos. I will then show that the focus on income inequalities, and on income tax, in this discussion has not allowed seeing other implications of Cohen?s theory. In particular, I will consider that Cohen?s critique of material incentives not only has implications for income inequalities but also directly affects the Rawlsian justification of inheritance. In this sense, I will conclude that limitations to inheritance are an alternative consistent with Cohen?s positio n that does not affect Rawls? commitment to freedom of occupational choice as a basic liberty.