The Principle of Equal Liberty

The principle of equal liberty ensures that no client is disadvantaged by factors such as race, gender or class, that all members of society enjoy the freedom necessary to pursue their goals, whatever they may be.

Each representative in the original position is concerned with his own client’s interests. Although he does not know what those interests will be, each representative will want to ensure that his client has the opportunity to pursue them. It would therefore be irrational for any representative to limit his client’s rights in any way that would prevent him pursuing any goal he could possibly have. The standards for liberty must be high.

Each representative is also ignorant of his client’s status and attributes. It follows from this that it would be irrational for any representative to limit the liberty of any individual in society on the basis of their status or attributes, as in doing so he would risk frustrating his client’s goals. The same high standard of liberty must therefore be applied to every member of society.

The principle of equal liberty therefore does seem to follow from the original position.