>No, it's not. You aren't accounting for choice at all.
Only in the sense that I consider individual choice to be "marginalized out" here. People's choices have only a limited causal influence on outcomes, after all, but it is instructive to look at how much causal power choices have, versus circumstances. Trying to maximize the causal power of choices and minimize that of circumstances is a worthy goal.
It still requires looking at the outcome distribution quantitatively, and admitting that both factors have causal power.
"Only in the sense that I consider individual choice to be "marginalized out" here."
Why?
"Trying to maximize the causal power of choices and minimize that of circumstances is a worthy goal."
I see what you are saying, but I'm not sure we want to take that to an extreme. Diverse, interesting, and challenging circumstances produce a lot of creativity, culture, and happiness.
Only in the sense that I consider individual choice to be "marginalized out" here. People's choices have only a limited causal influence on outcomes, after all, but it is instructive to look at how much causal power choices have, versus circumstances. Trying to maximize the causal power of choices and minimize that of circumstances is a worthy goal.
It still requires looking at the outcome distribution quantitatively, and admitting that both factors have causal power.