Wealth Inequality: The Barrier to A Just Society
In his book, The Republic, Plato believes he has found a society that operates with complete justice. In the modern world, an ideally just society would be made up of many factors, but the most important ones would be providing its people with equal opportunities and social mobility. However, in reality, such a society is nonexistent, due to various impediments. In the United States today, wealth inequality is the greatest barrier to achieving such a just society.
Wealth inequality results in a large gap in the quality of education. In much of America, public schools are funded by local property taxes, which are based on the value of homes. This means that wealthy neighborhood areas are able …show more content…
According to a paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, “a 20 percent increase in per-pupil spending a year for poor children can lead to an additional year of completed education, 25 percent higher earnings, and a 20-percentage point reduction in the incidence of poverty in adulthood” (theatlantic.com). As shocking as these statistics are, they clearly demonstrate that inadequate education can significantly impair a child’s future. In a society, it is unfair for underprivileged people to have less opportunities in life. Furthermore, with meager economic opportunities, it is extremely difficult to attain upward social mobility. It is impossible to achieve justice in a society when the less privileged do not have equal opportunities and upward social mobility.
Moreover, income inequality leads to higher crime rate. “There’s a good amount of research from all over the world that suggests that places with pronounced income inequality are more likely to have high rates of violent crime” (theatlantic.com). Crime by itself is already heinous. Put into a society, crime greatly impedes justice because it erodes the fibers that make for a cohesive and just
In his book, The Republic, Plato believes he has found a society that operates with complete justice. In the modern world, an ideally just society would be made up of many factors, but the most important ones would be providing its people with equal opportunities and social mobility. However, in reality, such a society is nonexistent, due to various impediments. In the United States today, wealth inequality is the greatest barrier to achieving such a just society.
Wealth inequality results in a large gap in the quality of education. In much of America, public schools are funded by local property taxes, which are based on the value of homes. This means that wealthy neighborhood areas are able …show more content…
According to a paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, “a 20 percent increase in per-pupil spending a year for poor children can lead to an additional year of completed education, 25 percent higher earnings, and a 20-percentage point reduction in the incidence of poverty in adulthood” (theatlantic.com). As shocking as these statistics are, they clearly demonstrate that inadequate education can significantly impair a child’s future. In a society, it is unfair for underprivileged people to have less opportunities in life. Furthermore, with meager economic opportunities, it is extremely difficult to attain upward social mobility. It is impossible to achieve justice in a society when the less privileged do not have equal opportunities and upward social mobility.
Moreover, income inequality leads to higher crime rate. “There’s a good amount of research from all over the world that suggests that places with pronounced income inequality are more likely to have high rates of violent crime” (theatlantic.com). Crime by itself is already heinous. Put into a society, crime greatly impedes justice because it erodes the fibers that make for a cohesive and just