Abstract
This paper addresses ways of arguing for some form of economic democracy from within a broadly Rawlsian framework. Firstly, one can argue
that a right to participate in economic decision-making should be added
to the Rawlsian list of basic liberties, protected by the ¿rst principle of
justice. Secondly, I argue that a society which institutes forms of economic democracy will be more likely to preserve a stable and just basic
structure over time, by virtue of the effects of economic democratization
on the development of an active, democratic character among citizens.
Thirdly, I argue that a proper understanding of the demands of the difference principle shows that justice demands more than ex post redistribution, but also requires the ex ante redistribution of power and authority
in economic life. This connects to Rawls’s discussion of the badness of
inequality, and to his endorsement of a “property-owning democracy”.
My conclusion is that, even if we may doubt the success of this ¿rst
Rawlsian argument, the second and third arguments are both successful,
and together establish a strong Rawlsian case for seeing economic democratization as a requirement of justice
that a right to participate in economic decision-making should be added
to the Rawlsian list of basic liberties, protected by the ¿rst principle of
justice. Secondly, I argue that a society which institutes forms of economic democracy will be more likely to preserve a stable and just basic
structure over time, by virtue of the effects of economic democratization
on the development of an active, democratic character among citizens.
Thirdly, I argue that a proper understanding of the demands of the difference principle shows that justice demands more than ex post redistribution, but also requires the ex ante redistribution of power and authority
in economic life. This connects to Rawls’s discussion of the badness of
inequality, and to his endorsement of a “property-owning democracy”.
My conclusion is that, even if we may doubt the success of this ¿rst
Rawlsian argument, the second and third arguments are both successful,
and together establish a strong Rawlsian case for seeing economic democratization as a requirement of justice
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 29-55 |
| Number of pages | 27 |
| Journal | Revue de Philosophie Économique |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |
Keywords
- workplace democracy
- Mill
- economic democracy
- Rawls
- liberty
- equality
- stability
- character
- participation
- property-owning democracy
- democracy
- social justice
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