Abstract

Leading theorists of distributive justice claim that they defend the freedom or the opportunity to pursue a broad range of lifeplans. Utilitarians, John Rawls, and Bruce Ackerman exemplify these theorists. What these theorists also share is a failure to examine the production of material goods and services. This failure undermines the freedom they defend. This problem is especially evident among people who are happy to live with a material wealth that is at most modest, and who seek opportunities to pursue lifeplans which take them outside of the production of goods and services. The problem, however, can be met with a proposal that helps allow the pursuit of such lifeplans. This proposal can provide such help while also taking into account the need to maintain the regular production that everyone requires to live on.