Fortuna, caso e giustizia distributiva

This essay examines the idea of luck in its possible relation with distributive justice. It then presents Dworkin’s distinction between “brute luck” and “option luck.” In light of Rawls’ A Theory of Justice and Williams’ notion of equality from a human point of view, the essay analyzes the notion of merit in its constitutive elements –“genetic lotteries,” “social capital,” historical and cultural context, and individual initiative – in order to bring out an unconventional configuration of the concept.