ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that one should distinguish between rhetorical and strict egalitarian theories and that the latter are marked by the special role that principles of a certain kind which the author shall call principles of equality have within their framework. Some philosophers have suggested that egalitarian principles are principles of universal entitlement and principles entailed by them. In virtue of their generality all principles apply equally to classes of people. The principles of entitlement themselves act as principles of conflict resolution. In fact they are sufficient to settle most conflicts. Principles of non-discrimination, unlike principles of equal distribution, are not sensitive to the number of qualifiers. Rhetorical invocation of equality is linguistically proper in a variety of contexts. The strict egalitarian's presupposition of insatiable principles reveals his commitment to the consumer's conception of man.
