# § 7: That Inequality of Powers Is the Necessary Condition of Equality of Fortunes explained — What Is Property?

> Chapter companion for What Is Property? by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.

## What happens

Proudhon addresses the objection that natural inequalities of talent and intelligence justify unequal rewards. He argues that inequality of powers is actually the necessary condition for equality of fortunes. He critiques the economist Say's division of a physician's fortune into educational costs and natural talent, showing that the cost of education is a debt to be repaid, not a source of income. Proudhon concludes that all capacities are entitled to the same reward, and that superiority of genius itself grounds equality of fortunes.

## Themes in this chapter

### Equality and Justice

Proudhon argues that natural inequality of powers is the very condition for equality of fortunes, challenging the idea that talent deserves greater reward.

### Labor and Exploitation

Critique of the economist's view that educational costs justify higher income; Proudhon treats such costs as a debt to be repaid, not a source of profit.

## Character check-ins

### Pierre Joseph Proudhon

Author and primary voice; argues that inequality of powers is the condition for equality of fortunes.

### Babeuf

Mentioned as wishing to repress all superiority as a social calamity.

### Jean Jacques Rousseau

Quoted on the difficulty of observing everyday truths.

### Say

Economist whose division of a physician's fortune is critiqued.

## Key lines

> inequality of powers is the sine qua non of equality of fortunes.

Inequality of abilities is absolutely necessary for equality of wealth.

_Central thesis of the chapter._

> The expense of educating a talent is a debt contracted by this talent.

The cost of developing a skill is a debt owed by that skill.

_Proudhon's argument that talent must repay its educational costs, not profit from them._

## Links

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