Inherited Inequality, Meritocracy, and the Capability Approach

This paper examines differences and similarities between four prominent concepts in the literature on social justice: equality of opportunity, social mobility, Sen’s capabilities, and meritocracy. We review the canonical economic model of equality of opportunity and discuss how the dominant approach to measuring inequality of opportunity (IOp) relates to the measurement of intergenerational mobility, and that both concepts can be considered versions of a common framework, namely that of inherited inequality. Eliminating systematic disparities among groups of people with different inherited characteristics is closely related to ensuring that opportunities are equalised between them: people may still make different choices, but they face the same choice sets. We argue that this interpretation is close in spirit to Sen’s view that people, being vastly diverse, will make different choices, but societies ought to strive to provide them with equal capabilities, from which to choose functionings they have reason to value. There are important differences between the two approaches, but IOp and inherited inequality may be seen as a coarse operationalisation of Sen’s concern with inequality in capabilities. All three of these concepts differ rather fundamentally from meritocracy, even though it too may have a (subsidiary) role to play in a good society.