Theories on equal opportunity

In today's modern society, we usually say that there should be meritocracy and equal opportunities. However, the concept of equal opportunity is multifaceted and what we mean by it may differ.

Is it enough to enable everyone to apply for a certain position and then the one who is selected is assumed to be the one who had the best merits because we assume that the person who makes the choice always makes a rational and correct choice? Or do we need to go deeper and ask ourselves whether the possibilities differ to qualify in a certain position and that the possibilities thus first need to change? Do we need to ask ourselves whether the criteria used to select are relevant criteria or whether we, by setting certain assessment criteria, benefit a certain group? Can certain formal requirements that on the surface may appear to be relevant actually imply obstacles for certain groups that could have qualified equally well in other ways? Can it be economically advantageous and rational to base decisions on stereotypes in order to increase one's income in that way? Are there mechanisms in human interaction that enable people who belong to different groups to align themselves with the structures that exist and contribute to maintaining them, regardless of whether it is their own group that benefits from them or not? Are quotas a result of letting people get an advantage at the expense of others or is it a result of leveling a playing field that would otherwise have preferred certain people with lesser qualifications? How does the question of the equal value of all human beings relate to the concept of equal opportunities?

What we answer and believe about these and similar questions easily shapes how we approach questions about social sustainability in society. It also easily shapes what we think needs to change and what we think is the problem. What is enough for society and ourselves to do when we see inequality?

Read more about different aspects of the concept of equal opportunities at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.