On Liberty and Peace - Part 1: Liberty by Matt Edge

Author:Matt Edge
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political philosophy, liberty, globalisation, globalization, perpetual peace, freedom, equality, society, rationality, positive liberty
ISBN: 9781845407056
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2016
Published: 2016-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

However, when it comes to setting up these institutions, they have a rather familiar appearance. The liberal lawgiver

will then decide that there are no better mechanisms available, as general political institutions, than the two main institutions of our own political economy: the common market, for decisions about what goods shall be produced and how they shall be distributed, and representative democracy, for collective decisions about what conduct shall be prohibited or regulated so that other conduct might be made possible or convenient. Each of these familiar institutions may be expected to provide a more egalitarian division than any other general arrangement. [84]

Indeed, Dworkin objects to a socialist economy because “the liberal theory of equality rules out that appeal to the inherent value of one theory of what is good in life”. [85] This last claim appears somewhat paradoxical. It is immediately clear that these institutions set up by the liberal lawgiver will have (clearly very profound) implications regarding how individuals are able to pursue ‘the good life’ in liberal society. Dworkin, precisely, thinks that these institutions are ‘better ’ than any other for securing those values and conditions we take as basic to leading a human life over time and that they are necessary for ‘justice’. Both choices will, in a very natural and immediate sense, have a profound impact on “the way of life for individuals” Dworkin claims that liberals are neutral on.

This is not to say that Dworkin does not have good reasons for arguing as he does (because, among other things, he believes the market is necessary for equality) but still this does not equate to neutrality. [86] This is because the choice of a capitalist market economy and a representative democracy and all that goes with those choices in terms of coercive laws, apparatus and structure, has profound implications for my pursuit of the good over a complete life. For these are the structures which will define human co-operation over time. In terms of the structure I am proposing here, it is not that Dworkin is wrong, any more than he is right, just that these structures have already won out, and won out as ‘the best’ and/or the most rational. We are not given the choice as to whether we happen to agree or not. And Dworkin’s choice (or his liberal lawgiver ’s choice) is certainly not neutral.

The liberal theory of ‘equality’ is really no different to the socialistic theory of ‘equality’ in relation to this question of the ‘good life’. It seems to me to be impossible to be neutral regarding this matter, whoever you are. Nor do I understand the need to single “socialism” out here. The argument on behalf of socialism (or the one that interests me) is surely simply that it will provide the most just, the most egalitarian, distribution of resources to enable human beings to live a good life through the pursuit of happiness. There is no division here with liberalism about the need to be neutral regarding the

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