POLS-315 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Liberal Democracy, Communitarianism, John Locke
31 Jul 2018
Department
Course
Professor
▪ Freedom is a function of property (based on Kant and Rousseau)
▪ In developing the basic principles of justice, Rawls places individuals behind a
“veil of ignorance” –
• the individual loses a sense of individual position and status in
relation to others, but understands the possible position and status
that he or she might occupy
• Called “the original position” – use it in the development of the social
contract
o Not knowing one’s position in relation to others, individuals
will create a “social safety net” that would prevent individuals
from becoming more diminished social and political actors – in
essence, making minimum levels of freedom of opportunity
and condition
o Rawls Modern Liberal Social Contract
o Two general principles:
o First Principle: Equal representation of individuals and therefore interests via the vote
process
▪ Consistent with Lockean classical liberal views
▪ Would guarantee rights such as:
• the right to vote and be eligible for public office, right to freedom of
speech and assembly, freedom/right to hold personal property, and
freedom from arbitrary arrest and seizure.
▪ Second Principle (Difference Principle): wealth and income distribution do
not have to be equal for all members of society, but the end result of
distribution must always benefit all parties to the social contract
• Justifies policies for the redistribution of individual property or wealth
to promote social and economic justice
o Communitarianism
o Communitarians often reject the social contract as the sole basis of our society
▪ Remember, for liberals, government is established by individuals whose goal
is to institute civil society and government but are ultimately interested in
maximizing their individual self-interest.
o Communitarians see individuals as members of groups or communities within larger
groups and communities, so individuals are not truly independent of one another and
do not blindly pursue their self-interest
o Individuals identify themselves through group memberships and pursue their own
interests – both individual and communal – with a clear understanding of their group
identity.
▪ Place greater emphasis on informal voluntary human cooperation to solve
problems
▪ Very interested in the development of social trust, as trust is the foundation
upon which all other social, political, and economic relationships and
institutions are based, thrive, and endure.
