If You’re an Egalitarian, How Come You’re So Rich ?

G. A. Cohen’s book, “If You’re an Egalitarian, How Come You’re So Rich?”, presents his Gifford Lectures at the University of Edinburgh in 1996. Cohen focuses on Marxism and Rawlsian liberalism, arguing that these thought systems influence choices that shape a person’s life. Cohen’s life, a communist upbringing in Montreal in the 1940s, influenced his belief in a socialist egalitarian doctrine. He argues that egalitarian justice is not just about rules defining society’s structure but also about personal attitude and choice. Cohen’s focus on these truths brings political philosophy closer to moral philosophy and the Judeo-Christian ethical tradition, bringing it closer to the modern understanding of social and political philosophy.