Would a good society be an equal society?
Wentao Liu
A good society cannot be a fully equal society: you can never be entirely equal because there will always be slight inequalities in income, authority, and opportunities. A ‘good’ society is a society that can function properly, bring prosperity, as well as being kind and treating others with respect. It is a society guided by not just morals and ethics, but also economics. An ‘equal’ society is one where everyone is treated the same, no matter their race, class, or gender etc. Firstly, a good society has to be kind, respectful, and ethical. This means that for a society to be considered good, it has to be equal and morally just. One way to measure a good society is the Good Country Index. 1 The data is qualitative, as it is placed on a positive – negative scale, but a lower average rank means that it is a better country. This index combines a country’s global contribution in various categories such as peacekeeping and advances in technology. Contributing to these things is ethical as it helps those in danger or in need, and it shows the signs of a progressive society. Using the GCI, we can consider the top 10 countries as ‘good’ countries. These countries include Iceland, Switzerland, and Sweden. These countries are also some of the most equal countries in the world in terms of income and gender equality. On the other hand, some of the worst countries on the GCI also rank low in terms of income and gender equality, such as Central African Republic, Eswatini, and Angola. Figure 1.1 shows the Gini score 2 plotted against the GCI average. The Gini coefficient is derived from the Lorenz curve, with a 45° line representing perfect equality. 3 If the area between the 45° line and the Lorenz curve is A, and the area under the Lorenz curve is B, then the Gini coefficient is A/(A+B) = 2A . In Figure 1.1, there is a very small correlation between the GCI average and the Gini score. This variation in data shows that income equality does not make a good society and a good society does not necessarily have income equality.
1 The Good Country Index, 2020. 2 Gini Coefficient by Country 2022, 2022; CIA, 1997-2018. 3 World Bank Group, 2022.
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