The Origins of Unfairness: Social Categories and Cultural Evolution

Cailin O'Connor's book "The Origins of Unfairness" explores the cultural evolution of conventions that piggyback on social categories, such as gender, race, and religion, using game theory and evolutionary game theory to explain how inequity can emerge from simple processes of cultural change. She offers solutions to problems of coordination and resource division and shows why we need to think of inequity as part of an ever-evolving process.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 27 October 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

In nearly every human society, some individuals receive more while others receive less. Why is inequality the norm in these societies? In her book, The Origins of Unfairness, philosopher Cailin O'Connor delves into this question by examining how groups are categorized into social categories such as gender, race, and religion. She employs formal frameworks of game theory and evolutionary game theory to explore the cultural evolution of the conventions that rely on these seemingly irrelevant social categories. These frameworks provide insights into diverse topics, ranging from the inherent gender differences to collaboration in academia, household bargaining, minority disadvantage, and homophily. They illustrate how inequity can arise from the simple processes of cultural change within groups with gender and racial categories and under various circumstances.

The process of learning conventions of coordination and resource division leads to certain groups consistently obtaining more resources than others. O'Connor offers solutions to address these coordination and resource division challenges and emphasizes the importance of considering inequity as a dynamic and ever-evolving process. Surprisingly, minimal conditions are required to robustly produce phenomena related to inequity, and once inequity emerges in these models, it takes minimal effort for it to persist indefinitely. Consequently, those who are concerned with social justice must remain vigilant against the forces that drive inequity.

Weight: 306g
Dimension: 215 x 134 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192884275