Liberty, liability and contractualism

Abstract

Most egalitarians accept that a just society would not only require its members to share fairly in each other¿s fortunes and misfortunes but also empower them to decide various aspects of their lives for themselves. Egalitarians face consequent questions about the relevant types of luck as well as the contours of the pertinent decision-making liberties. They also face questions about how to assign liability for the costs and benefits generated when individuals exercise those liberties. For illustration, consider some issues concerning luck, liberty, and liability raised by procreation. Egalitarians need to decide whether treatment for involuntarily infertile individuals should be publicly funded because of its impact on their welfare, or resources, or capabilities. They also need to decide whether there are any limits on parents¿ rights to decide the size of their families, and the extent to which the costs of reproductive choices should be borne by parents alone (Casal and Williams 2004).