Justice, Limits to Growth, and an Equilibrium State

Considered are the conditions in which justice would require the adoption of an equilibrium or limited growth strategy. A Rawlsian framework is used to identify the conditions where an ideal society would impose limits on growth (Rawls, J., A Theory of Justice, Cambridge, Mass: Harvard U Press, 1971). The justice of an equilibrium strategy in a "real" society, the US, is also discussed. An applied theory of justice indicates the need to consider: (1) technological capacity to make factual determinations & implement social changes, (2) costs of deliberately limiting growth, & (3) the strengths & weaknesses of alternative methods of implementing an equilibrium strategy. The equilibrium perspective indicates the need for a fundamental reevaluation of basic premises about growth & individualism. AA.