We took the referees off the field
A Libertarian reconsiders how the economy got in this mess

By A.L. Addington, retired dean of the Valdosta State University business school

In the 1970’s I had completed my PhD in economics and was a business school dean with strong libertarian views.  I thought that my views were quite rational and made economic sense on a purely objective evaluation of reality. It never occurred to me that in any postmodern sense my views were biased by knowledge of my abilities.

Then I met a philosopher, Jim Hill, who introduced me to the Theory of Justice, John Rawls’ book published in 1971. I have developed my own example of the Rawls’ position.

Assume that I am 6’8’’ tall and in junior high. The teacher announces that it is time for recess and we need to decide what game we will play. Guess what game I will suggest?

You guess basketball. Amazing! That is exactly what I propose.

Why did you guess basketball? Because I am so tall and would have an advantage. Absolutely not!

The reason I suggested basketball was because it is a game filled with aerobic exercise which promotes healthy hearts. The game requires good eye and hand coordination and that gives the students a life-long skill. Remember too that basketball requires teamwork and builds personal connections. We all benefit from basketball.

To the extent that the other kids buy my arguments, which do in fact have some validity, we decide to play basketball and as you might suspect, I am the star. It is easy to expand this example to any aspect of our lives. I am not a neutral evaluator, but instead make my arguments about the economy based on the skills that I have.

As a white male with a PhD in economics, a sound financial position, and friends in high places being a libertarian is quite natural.  I would like to get the referees off the playing field so that we can all reach our full potential. Just as the basketball player in the example above, I know that I would win under such a system.

Rawls says that the only way we can ever develop a fair economic game is to decide on the rules while we are hidden behind a “veil of ignorance” about the talents we possess. First determine the game and then distribute the talents. After the game is decided, some will discover that they have an IQ of 140, others Down syndrome. Some will be physical impaired and others physically gifted. The gifts will represent the entire range of human conditions.

What the Rawls’ reflection did for me was to make me realize that what I had assumed was an objective economic position was in fact strongly influenced by my own abilities and the understanding of how I would fare in the game I decide to advocate.