Rawls' View Of Liberty And Equality

On the one hand there is a contradiction between liberty and equality; on the other hand it is possible to mediate between the two. Equality and liberty are in sharp conflict when both are understood in absolute terms, but they depend on each other when they are understood in relative terms. John Rawls insisted on the consistency between liberty and equality, and tried to coordinate the two. Did he succeed it? To answer this question, let's have a closer look at his view of liberty and equality.The relationship between liberty and equality is reflected in Rawls' two principles of justice. In this thesis the two principles of justice are scrutinized and explained in detail. In the first principle, basic liberties are defined. Rawls thought, however, because of the unequal distribution of talents and social and economic resources, the basic equal liberties protected by the first principle cannot be enjoyed by everyone in the same extent. Then we turned to the second principle. It includes the fair equality of opportunity principle and the difference principle. The fair equality of opportunity excludes the influences of some social factors. In regard to natural inequalities, such as health and vigor, intelligence and imagination, Rawls thought it is impossible to eliminate the inequalities. So he proposed that social and economic inequalities are to be arranged in such a way that they are both to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged. This is the difference principle. These principles are to be arranged in a serial order with the first principle prior to the second, and the fair equality of opportunity prior to the difference principle. Economic inequality doesn't equal to economic polarization. Rather, relative economic inequality will contribute to the achievement of the fair equality of opportunity and liberty.In the two principles of justice, freedom and equality are interdependent. In a certain sense, freedom means equality. The pursuit of freedom will inevitably turn to more substantive level - equality that includes the fair equality of opportunity and relative economic inequality. Equality, especially, the relative economic equality is conducive to the most extensive individual freedom.In Rawls' theory, freedom and equal are thus coordinated with each other. The reason is that Rawls redefined freedom. Property excluding tax belongs to the scope of individual economic freedom. Rawls was criticized by Robert·Nozick. Rober·Nozick, a radical liberal, thought that the compensation for the disadvantaged will violate economic freedom of some people. On my opinion, the extreme freedom of the rich defended by Robert·Nozick's will eventually undermine their own freedom, while Rawls' difference principle is not only conducive to the promotion of equality but also contribute to maintaining freedom . From the perspective of Robert·Nozick, the theoretical basis Rawls provided for his difference principle is unreasonable. Even so, the difference principle is realistic and reasonable. What we need to do is to find a more reasonable theory for the compensation for the disadvantaged people. At this point, MacIntyre has provided us with more useful inspiration. Finally, we must see that there is a big gap between Rawls' theory and Chinese reality. But it has inspired much important thinking in us about building of a harmonious socialist society.