Equality of Opportunities

Equality of opportunity is the idea that every person, simply by virtue of being human, is entitled to the same basic rights and opportunities to develop their skills and talents and to pursue their own goals and ambitions.

Within a society built on equal opportunity, people can still differ enormously in the choices and preferences they make, and in the talents and skills they happen to have — some may become highly successful cricketers or lawyers while most others do not. That unevenness of outcome, on its own, does not make a society unequal. It would be a mistake to think that a society is unjust simply because some people end up with more status, wealth or recognition than others as a result of their own choices and abilities. …