What ’s Wrong with Social Hierarchy? On Niko Kolodny’s The Pecking Order

AbstractThis review critically assesses Niko Kolodny ’s theory of social hierarchy and its importance as articulated inThe Pecking Order (2023). After summarizing Kolodny ’s argument, I raise two critical challenges. First, I ask whether Kolodny leaves us without adequate account of why social hierarchies are, in themselves, objectionable. Second, I query whether Kolodny’s defense of representative democracy is decisive, and suggest that egalitarians should be op en to alternative ways of mitigating the threat of hierarchy posed by political rule.
Source: Ethical Theory and Moral Practice - Category: Medical Ethics Source Type: research