The liberal ideal and the planned society

Abstract

The object of this thesis is to examine the bearing of liberalism, considered as a political ideal, on questions of economic organisation and, in particular, to consider whether a centrally planned or a free enterprise, economic will provide the most favourable basis for a liberal society. Part I of the thesis consists in a statement of the Liberal ideal. The notions of freedom and of distributive justice are analysed. It is argued that a liberal society is only possible in so far as there is agreement between individuals on a moral code by which their conflicting claims to freedom can be resolved. Part II of the thesis is concerned with the application of the Liberal Ideal to economic questions. It is shown that certain economic remitters are unavoidably subject to collective policies, Liberalism seems to require that such policies should be evolved by conscious social decisions and implemented by central economic planning. Individual freedom, it is urged, ought to prevail in matters of consumers choice ana choice of employment. A market system is found to be essential to the preservation of these freedoms, but this system can, it is argued, be combined with central economic planning and also with public ownership of industry. The conclusion is that an economic system which combines conscious social decisions on collective issues with consumers' choice and choice of employment is most in accord with the Liberal ideal. In Part III of the thesis, the basis of distribution of wealth is considered. The conclusion is that, subject to the overriding claims of need, the best method of distribution is on the basis of labour as assessed by the market, but neither this method of distribution nor others considered seems fully to meet the requirements of distributive justice.