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1 results

  • 17 - One Person, at Least One Vote?

  • from Part IV - Pluralism, Democracy, and the Future of Justice as Fairness
  • Edited by Paul Weithman, University of Notre Dame, Indiana
  • Book:
    Rawls’s <i>A Theory of Justice</i> at 50
    Published online:
    20 July 2023
    Print publication:
    10 August 2023, pp 296-312

  • Summary

    The precept, “One person, one vote,” is an article of faith in contemporary democracies. Nevertheless, many theorists and philosophers—historically, John Stuart Mill, and recently. others—have advocated unequal suffrage in order to favor the input of those who would vote more wisely. Strikingly, in A Theory of Justice John Rawls says that Mill’s argument for such epistemically motivated plural voting is, “of the right form,” adding that, “plural voting may be perfectly just.” I will argue that this is deeply rooted in Rawls’s theory, not a mere curiosity. Rawls subordinates political equality to other basic liberties and his case for doing so is carefully considered. I go on to ask, inconclusively, what might be a good reply that is responsive to Rawls’s concerns – a strong case for a more absolute commitment to equal suffrage.