The Moral Problems of Competition

Competition is a key element in the institutional design in Western liberal democracies. This book offers a conceptual and normative analysis of the value and ethics of competition.

We compete for jobs, promotions, grants, prizes, access to selective (university) programmes, and the recognition and power that comes with it. While competition is widely accepted and even embraced, it is also clear that it comes with serious problems. This book questions the self-evidence with which competitive incentive structures and selection and distribution mechanisms are employed on the labour market, in education and in academia. It shows that the moral problems associated with competition are not mere unfortunate side effects that we should take for granted, but baked into its very nature. It argues, in short, that even when competitions are considered fair, they tend to corrupt practices and come with significant opportunity, psychological and emotional costs, while undermining solidarity. As such, the book contributes to the latest philosophical debates on the nature and desirability of competition.

The Moral Problems of Competition will appeal to researchers and graduate students working in ethics, political philosophy, political theory, economics, and sociology.