Liberal Perfectionism and Democratic Participation

Abstract

Martha Nussbaum and other have endorsed a robust doctrine of state responsibility that is perfectionist in its conception of well-being but in its sensitivity to the autonomy of individuals and the differences between them. This doctrine can be understood as an effort to avoid the weaknesses of both an impartial liberal model of state welfare responsibility insufficiently attentive to individual need, and a neo-conservative model insufficiently sensitive to autonomy and pluralism. Yet this robust doctrine is vulnerable to the challenge that government concern for the quality of life may encroach upon autonomy and threaten pluralism. This article argues that perfectionists can respond to this challenge by incorporating greater emphasis on public dialogue and participation into their doctrine.