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155Freedom, force and choice: Against the rights-based definition of voluntarinessJournal of Political Philosophy 6 (1). 1998.
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62Born Free and Equal? A Philosophical Inquiry into the Nature of Discrimination By K. Lippert-Rasmussen (review)Analysis 76 (1): 111-113. 2016.
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220Responsibility and the consequences of choiceProceedings of the Aristotelian Society 109 (1pt2): 165-188. 2009.Contemporary egalitarian theories of justice constrain the demands of equality by responsibility, and do not view as unjust inequalities that are traceable to individuals' choices. This paper argues that, in order to make non-arbitrary determinate judgements of responsibility, any theory of justice needs a principle of stakes , that is, an account of what consequences choices should have. The paper also argues that the principles of stakes seemingly presupposed by egalitarians are implausible, a…Read more
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92Liberty, Desert and the Market: A Philosophical StudyCambridge University Press. 2004.Are inequalities of income created by the free market just? In this book Serena Olsaretti examines two main arguments that justify those inequalities: the first claims that they are just because they are deserved, and the second claims that they are just because they are what free individuals are entitled to. Both these arguments purport to show, in different ways, that giving responsible individuals their due requires that free market inequalities in incomes be allowed. Olsaretti argues, howeve…Read more
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2Distributive justice and compensatory desertIn Desert and justice, Oxford University Press. 2003.The compensatory desert argument is an argument that purports to justify inequalities in (some) incomes generated by a free labour market. It holds, first, that the principle of compensation is a principle of desert; second, that a distribution justified by a principle of desert is just; and third, that (some) rewards people reap on a free labour market are compensation for costs they incur. It concludes that therefore, a distribution of (some) rewards generated by a free labour market is just. …Read more
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122Equality of resources and the demands of authenticityCritical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy 19 (4): 434-455. 2016.One of the most distinctive features of Ronald Dworkin’s egalitarian theory is its commitment to holding individuals responsible for the costs to others of their ambitions. This commitment has received much criticism. Drawing on Dworkin’s latest statement of his position in Justice for Hedgehogs (2011), we suggest that it seems to be in tension with another crucial element of Dworkin’s own theory, namely, its endorsement of the importance of people leading authentic lives – lives that reflect th…Read more
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136The Limits of Hedonism: Feldman on the Value of Attitudinal PleasurePhilosophical Studies 136 (3): 409-415. 2007.This paper is part of a book symposium on Fred Feldman's, *Pleasure and the Good Life*. I argue that Feldman’s defence of hedonism, although successful on its own terms, is of less significance than it may seem at first, for two main reasons. First, Feldman’s defence of the claim that attitudinal pleasures are the chief good is either implausible or crucially incomplete. Second, Feldman’s claim that hedonists can overcome the objections levelled against them while remaining pure hedonists is on…Read more
Serena Olsaretti
ICREA & Universitat Pompeu Fabra
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ICREA & Universitat Pompeu FabraProfessor
Areas of Specialization
Social and Political Philosophy |
Justice |
Freedom and Liberty |
Equality |