SEEU Review vol. 5 Nr. 2 (pdf) - South East European University

SEEU Review Volume 5, No. 2, 2009
content of these principles, and brings out one way in which either a privateproperty
economy or a socialist regime can satisfy this conception of justice”
(Rawls, 1971, 309).
It is true that the imperfections of the market violates the precepts of
justice, but this precept is only one norm among many other secondary
norms and what significantly matters is “the working of the whole system
and whether these defects are compensated for elsewhere” (Rawls, 1971,
309). At this point, it should be noted that Rawls” principles of justice can be
realised by private property based economy or a socialist economy. Rawls
separates political liberalism from free market economy, implying that
political liberalism does not necessarily requires private property economy.
This can be accepted if we recall that socialist economy has still class
divisions and interests.
Nevertheless, Rawls favours the competitive schema, which
“gives scope for the principles of free association and individual choice
of occupation against a background of fair equality of opportunity… A basic
prerequisite is the compatibility of economic arrangements with the
institutions of liberty and free association. Thus if markets are reasonably
competitive and open, the notion of pure procedural justice is a feasible one
to follow” (Rawls, 1971, 310).
In order to maintain his theory, Rawls tries to operate the priority rule.
First, the liberty is guaranteed, second the fair equality of opportunity is
provided and finally the difference principle is set in motion for the benefits
of the least favoured groups in the general conception of justice as fairness.
Concluding Remarks
In his web site article, “The politics of John Rawls”, Paul Treanor
crticises Rawls’ theory of justice and his liberalism. (Treanor, 2003). “This
whole approach is flawed …. it includes morally arbitrary choices, which are
concealed by Rawls style.”. Rawls suggests his original position in the form
of assembly. Treanor asks: ‘there is only one assembly. Why only one?”.
“There is only one social contract. Why not different (multiple) versions?”.
Also, Rawls assumes non-migration. “if there were multiple social contracts,
then some people could live under different versions, in the course of their
lives. If there were multiple contracts and migration, then the migration can
be voluntary. This introduces the element of real-life voluntarism into
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