John Rawls and the death of Western Marxism
https://josephheath.substack.com/p/john-rawls-and-the-death-of-western
Anti-capitalist theory needs to move beyond Marxism. The theory of inalienable rights and the labor theory of property are significantly more powerful critiques of capitalism than Analytical Marxism, and don’t suffer from the problems that Marxist critiques do. The theory is also easy to understand. Marxism, unfortunately, has been more influential then classical laborists such as Proudhon
https://www.ellerman.org/inalienable-rights-part-i-the-basic-argument/
@cy This is not my essay just to be clear.
Of course, all contracts must be voluntary. The question is whether there are other requirements for contract validity. The point is that there are rights that can’t be contractually alienated even with consent. There are some contracts that are invalid even if they are consensual. Capitalism is wrong even when voluntary. This is stronger than the usual leftist argument that capitalism is involuntary
I’m saying it doesn’t matter if I consented to any contract, anywhere, any time ever. I can still say fuck you and walk away. I could swear on my mother’s grave that I’ll pay you back, and if you (i.e. the police) can’t force me to, I don’t have to pay you back. NO contracts are valid by that criteria. Which is kind of how I feel about that shit. You want my help, make me want to help you. Don’t make me agree to help you.
@cy Walking away from an employment contract doesn’t give you the positive and negative fruits of your labor. With the inalienable rights theory, you are guaranteed a right to vote over management not just exit and to appropriate the fruits of your labor.
Contract enforcement can be done through reputation mechanisms. There doesn’t have to be coercion against the person
Or I could just help out my friends and not have to worry about contract enforcement, because I know they’ll have my back. Reputation management for human beings.