The current situation, with regard to social and economic inequalities within countries of the European Union, is highlighting the need to seek new politics and institutional solutions. Some fundamental political philosophical questions are returning to the political and academic arena, such as: What is the fundamental task of politics and what should its dimensions be like? Is the existing (neo)liberal capitalist organization fair and if not, what initial principles of fairness to choose and how to organize fundamental political and economic institutions? With the help of the normative political theory and historical practice, the article with the the proposed title "Liberal Socialism as a Potential Alternative '' will try to reach the area of ''critical'' thoughts dealing with alternative political concepts.
The purpose of this article is to show that John Rawls with his latest work "Justice as Fairness: A Restatement" offers us the possibility of combining individual parts of political and economic doctrines of neoliberalism, socialism and social democracy. The aim of this paper is to give, on a theoretical level, some bits of the conceptual framework of a political and economic system (liberal socialism), which could represent an alternative to the existing system.
In the first part of this article I am going to focus on the relationship between politics and economy. In the second part I am going to use critical analytical approach in order to briefly describe and evaluate capitalism of prosperity, etatism and laissez-faire capitalism. On the one hand, I am going to try to show their fundamental weaknesses, and on the other, their advantages. The second is going to be taken into account in the third part, where I am going to try to formulate the foundations of an alternative concept. The basic starting point is going to be represented by two principles by John Rawls. The first is going to focus on the human rights whereas the other on the functioning of the social and economic system. Based on the analysis of the second principle, I am going to try to prove that the human rights (particularly political, social and economic ones), with a different interpretation thereof and with a changed economic system, can really and not merely formally be enjoyed, as well. I am going to take account of Held's model of "autonomous democracy" and Kean's understanding of the relationship between civil society and state authority. Then I am going to focus on the political economic thought of Branko Horvat (fundamental work: Political Economy of Socialism), and try to prove that it is possible to take into account the theoretical guidance of neoliberalism on the national government level (in terms of limited tasks), to defend social rights which are at the forefront with the Social Democrats, and institutionally changed economic system which is at the forefront with the Socialists, and to connect all together in one system. By doing so, I am going to try to develop the fourth part of Rawls' reformulated political justice, which is the least accomplished.
