Review of Economic Philosophy

Tag: Republicanism

  • A dialogue on republicanism

    Abstract

    Two interlocutors, Philip Pettit and a student, are exchanging views on liberal political and economic philosophy during lunch at Prospect House, the faculty club of Princeton. The dialogue begins with clarifications of the notion of liberty, and, against objections of the student, Pettit introduces and defends his own conception of freedom as non-domination rather than as non-interference. It proceeds with an exchange of arguments regarding the different kinds of institutional settings that entrench liberty and all the other things valued by humans. The interlocutors reach a preliminary consensus that in order to substantiate the republican ideal of freedom as non-domination in concrete institutional realities, two things are required : the establishment of a mixed constitution – so that no single, unconstrained body can exercise lawmaking and other government functions – as well as eternal vigilance on the part of the citizens. The second part of the dialogue deals with a major challenge to the republican political philosophy expressed by the student : the issue of non-domination in markets, which is diagnosed as an important lacuna in republican thought.

    JEL Codes : B52, D72, D74, P16.

    Keywords

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    [See the article on Cairn]

  • Rawls a-t-il une conception de la citoyenneté ?

    Abstract

    The « juste » institutions of a liberal democracy are not enought to guarantee its stability at a time of growing cultural diversity. They have to gain citizens’ allegiances in the long term in spite of their conflicting comprehensive doctrines. This can only be achieved, according to Rawls, by founding political consensus not on one single conception of the good, as was the case in « classical » liberalism, which would alienate and disregard the other competing views, but by « neutral » principles of justice derived from a political conception of the person. The paper will show that, far from weakening citizens’ participation, a Rawlsian conception of citizenship can be reconstructed. The strength of Rawls’ position as examined through his debate with Habermas, is to provide us with a view of the self and of citizenship that parallels, within the self, the pluralist nature of post-modern society.

    Keywords 

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    JEL Classification: A12, B31.

  • The Market of Equals: A Socialist Aspect of the Republican Trade

    Abstract

    The defense of market economies in the liberal socialist tradition is useful: markets are tolerated insofar as they encourage enough circulation of wealth for some degree of ex post redistribution. On the other hand, the republican justification of markets, as stated in Pettit’s work, seeks to reduce domination. This article argues that this defense could be strengthened by adding a material egalitarian condition as an ex ante guarantee for more equal forms of exchange.

    Keywords

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