What kind of society would you rather live in: an equal one where everyone is just about getting by? Or an unequal one where most people are doing substantially better, but a small group consistently falls behind? Now imagine having to choose that society before you were even born, but with no idea of where you’ll end up in it.
Seen this way, inequality becomes a question of risk. Would people gamble on the unequal world, knowing they might be among the unlucky few? Or would they stick with a basic but adequate life for all?
