Tension Of Equality And Freedom

Equality and freedom are the core values of Modern Western thought from theRenaissance and the Enlightenment to the modern world. They not only make up thetheme of traditional contract theory, but are also constantly put in practice by modernsocial democracy movement. That is to say the basic measures of social justice are theprinciple of equality and the principle of freedom. But the problem is that therelationship between the principle of equality and the principle of freedom is notnatural or harmony. Instead that it is always in the relationship of cross, balances, andeven conflicts. In general, when people coordinate the relationship between equalityand freedom, they will find two different measures of value by giving one priority tothe other. With the publication of “A Theory of Justice” and Robert Nozick’s criticismof John Rawls, the relationship between equality and freedom is being as the theme ofpolitical philosophy. And after that G.A.Cohen interfered the argument based on theposition of Marxism, putting the argument into the summit.Inspired by John Rawls, Robert Nozick took individualism as the starting point ofhis theory and insisted on the absolute “priority of right”. Therefore, no person, groupor state could interfere the specific right of individuals. This theory based on thelibertarianism principles was in the background of capitalism social relations. It was adefense of “the justice of system” and “the irrationality of distribution” of capitalism.But it was Robert Nozick’s Critique of equalitarianism that woke G.A.Cohen up. Hefound that both the theories of Marx’s Critique of capitalism and Robert Nozick’sdefending of capitalism were founded on the principle of “Self-ownership”. This ledto the “short board” of the theory of socialism equality, making it vulnerable. For thisreason, G.A.Cohen took a positive side to reply the challenge that Robert Nozick gave him, taking the equalitarianism as a response and opened up the argument ofequalitarianism and liberalism. In this article the author tried to use the tension ofequality and freedom to analysis the logic and structure of G.A.Cohen and RobertNozick’s argument. And then try to analysis the essence of the argument of equalityand freedom from Marx’s Perspective.It includes three steps:Firstly, investigating the origin of the argument of equalitarianism and liberalismin contemporary political philosophy.It has three parts: First, although inspired byJohn Rawls’ theory, Robert Nozick strongly criticized Rawls for his method of contracttheory and the liberty based on equalitarianism. He developed the libertarianismprinciples into their summit. Second, in order to oppose to equalitarianism completely,Robert Nozick used the principle of “Self-ownership” to deconstruct Marx’s labortheory of value. He believed that the foundation of classical exploitation theory ofsurplus value was deconstructed in contemporary capitalism society. Third, based onthe severe challenges that Robert Nozick brought into Marx’s theory, G.A.Cohen gaveup the study of Marxist theory of history and turned to the study of political philosophy,then he intervened Robert Nozick’s arguments about equality and freedom.Secondly, analyzing G.A.Cohen and Robert Nozick’s argument from threedimensions. The first one is the answer to Robert Nozick’s argument about WiltChamberlain (This occupied an important position in Robert Nozick’s system. Eachscholar who wanted to argue with Robert Nozick have to respond this); The seconddimension is G.A.Cohen’s comment on Robert Nozick’s principles of Self-ownership(The principles of Self-ownership were the basis of Robert Nozick’s politicalphilosophy); The third dimension is his defend about Marx’s classical exploitationtheory.Thirdly, analyzing the argument of equality and freedom from Marx’s Perspective.In this part the author analyzes the essence of the argument between G.A.Cohen andRobert Nozick, G.A.Cohen’s principles of equalitarianism, and how to achieve theconsensus of equality and freedom from Marx’s Perspective. From an overall perspective, G.A.Cohen revealed the unjust nature of capitalismfrom the perspective of moral and political philosophy; he protected the rationality ofsocialism with equality as its main feature. However, G.A.Cohen not only overturnedRobert Nozick’s free will completely, and also at some point misunderstood thetraditional Marxist Theory, such as Dialectical Materialism, Marx’s view of socialism,etc. Some G.A.Cohen’s views went too far, but his strong conviction in socialismrepresents us: As a firm Marxist, we should respond to the challenges actively anddefend the rationality of socialism.