The Better Fish Sparknotes

1. In chapter 1, Cohen discusses a capitalist society as one in which individuals hold ownership privately and utilize their skillsets/good fortune for personal gain rather than working towards the benefit of the common body. He seems to paint those operating in capitalist societies as somewhat selfish and self-serving, as illustrated by the example of Harry, who claims he deserves the better fish since he is better at fishing. Furthermore, Cohen illustrates the strained relationships which, in accordance with the text, might potentially develop as a result of the capitalistic market system and private ownership qualities, as other camp members become annoyed with whoever demands to have more benefits based on their skill sets or other predisposed factors.
2. The each of these equalities of opportunities differ in the extent to which they remove obstacles. The …show more content…
In accordance with the text, the camp site scenario proves to be even more egalitarian than the socialist equality of opportunity because of its community component. The socialist equality of opportunity principle implies that individuals can face misfortune due to consequences of their own actions, or due to option luck. Either of these is an acceptable occurrence under the socialist equality of opportunity ideal; however, the campsite prevents individuals from suffering due to its community ties. Individuals work together to form societal ties and survive happily at the camp: in the case of someone knowing where better fish are in the other pond, everyone would benefit at a campsite, not just that individual. As we all care for and about one another on the campsite, we try to minimize individual struggles at camp, and an assumption of reciprocity also exists in which I do something for you with the assumption that you would also do it (or something else) for me. These result in a much more egalitarian way of life whilst camping than whilst living under the socialist equality of opportunity