Democracy and Liberal Socialism :: Politics Government Regime Papers

Democracy and Liberal Socialism This paper deals with the characteristic features of Rawls’ property-owning democracy, and whether a liberal democratic socialism can be compatible with Rawls’ political liberalism. I argue that a property-owning democracy can be compatible with Rawlsian justice while liberal socialism cannot. I understand the choice between property-owning democracy and liberal socialism as the problem of which kind of regime is more compatible with the pluralism of modern democracies. Property-owning democracy is more compatible with Rawls’ political liberalism since it permits a wider variety of the conceptions of the good than liberal socialism while at the same time permitting worker-managed firms; thus I argue that it can be understood as a "mixed" regime. What kind of economic regime is more compatible with Rawlsian justice, private ownership or social ownership of the means of production? Since Rawls has published A Theory of Justice,(1) there has been much debate over this problem. Some argue that A Theory of Justice offers "a philosophical apologia for an egalitarian brand of welfare state capitalism."(2) Others argue that his political and economic regime is completely different from the capitalism in the classical sense of Marxism.(3) But he himself rejects a welfare-state capitalism and illustrates a property-owning democracy and a liberal (democratic) socialism as economic regimes consistent with his justice as fairness.(4) I will deal with the following problems in this paper ; what are the characteristic features of the property-owning democracy as an alternative to capitalism? Can a liberal democratic socialism be compatible with Rawls's political liberalism? I will argue that a property-owning democracy can be compatible with Rawlsian justice but a liberal socialism, particularly concerning his political liberalism, cannot. And I will suggest my understanding of his property-owning democracy as a "mixed" regime. 1. Rawls's conception of property-owning democracy (5) a) the main institutions of Rawls's property-owning democracy Rawls thinks that his property-owning democracy realizes all the main political values expressed by the two principles of justice, but a capitalist welfare state does not. He thinks of such a democracy as an alternative to capitalism. Concluding his survey, Rawls outlines the main institutions of property-owning democracy as follows: i) Provisions for securing the fair value of the political liberties, ii) Provisions for realizing fair equality of opportunity in education and training, iii) A basic level of health-care provided for all.(6) Furthermore, Rawls insists upon two conditions: 1) a regime of competitive markets, and 2) state intervention both to correct market imperfections (e.