Foundations of a Free Society: Greater Equality
The IEA is launching a series of short videos outlining the key elements of a free society, explained by our Head of Education Dr Steve Davies.
In this video – the second in the series – Steve outlines another pillar of a free society: greater equality.
He explains how, contrary to popular belief, modern societies are some of the most equal societies ever to exist; the standard of living for a poor person in 2017 is significantly higher than that of a prince or aristocrat of the past.
Steve lays out the three types of equality needed in a free society: moral equality, political equality, and equality of opportunity. Steve also explains what kind of equality must be avoided: mainly trying to create absolute economic equality, due to the perverse incentives that come along with it.
The films are based on our book ‘Foundations of a Free Society’, written for the IEA by the Adam Smith Institute’s Dr Eamonn Butler, which you can download for free here: https://iea.org.uk/publications/resea…
In this video – the second in the series – Steve outlines another pillar of a free society: greater equality.
He explains how, contrary to popular belief, modern societies are some of the most equal societies ever to exist; the standard of living for a poor person in 2017 is significantly higher than that of a prince or aristocrat of the past.
Steve lays out the three types of equality needed in a free society: moral equality, political equality, and equality of opportunity. Steve also explains what kind of equality must be avoided: mainly trying to create absolute economic equality, due to the perverse incentives that come along with it.
The films are based on our book ‘Foundations of a Free Society’, written for the IEA by the Adam Smith Institute’s Dr Eamonn Butler, which you can download for free here: https://iea.org.uk/publications/resea…