In the article we read, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy points out that the idea that egalitarianism is based on envy requires that people who are well off could not be egalitarians, since they would have little to envy. It seems possible, however, that wealthy people could in fact be egalitarians, having a desire for everyone to be able to enjoy prosperity. Considering this possibility, it seems much more viable to consider something else as the basis for egalitarianism, such as compassion, or a sense of joy in seeing one's whole society prosper. An egalitarianism based on grounds such as these could then focus on raising the general standard of living, rather than limiting it for the sake of equality. This seems consistent with Marx's definition of wealth, if I remember it correctly, as the creation of the greatest number of needs that a society can fulfill. (I hope I am not contributing to an extensive tradition of misquoting Marx.)

Does the motivation to prosper necessitate a sense of envy in regard to an ideal, or can another emotion provide such motivation?