However, in modern society especially, agreement will often be diYcult to
obtain. When that is so, we mustWnd ways of explaining why the coercive
power of the state is to be invoked in defense of impartial rules, and we must
also say why those rules really are impartial, rather than sectarian. The
dilemma here is that, insofar as impartiality reXects a commitment to equal-
ity, and insofar as equality is itself a moral concept, impartial rules will
not be impartial with respect to absolutely everything. In particular, they
will not be impartial with respect to those who deny the moral value of
equality. This is neither avoidable nor regrettable. No moral position of any
interest can be defended to absolutely everyone, and an impartialist position
cannot, and should not, apologise about its own impartiality.
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