Fundamentos do liberalismo político e o debate sobre inclusão: reflexões a partir de John Rawls e Amartya Sen

Abstract

Although we live in a world of opulence, the economic sphere, conditioned by inequality and extreme poverty, has reached proportions so significant and so normalized that they have become part of the prevailing rhetoric. We exist in a dynamic where a minority benefits from abundance while the majority faces the harsh restrictions of scarce resources. This disparity not only permeates our social structures but also deeply influences our collective perceptions of justice and equality. The contemporary public debate, increasingly shaped by radicalized versions of economic liberalism or neoliberalism, seems to naturalize inequalities as inevitable expressions of individual differences. To this end, it often relies on highly selective interpretations of liberal theory, suggesting that such a theory provides the political-philosophical foundations for justifying inequality and, consequently, for the non-intervention of the State to address it. Liberalism is a political theory focused on understanding how a just and stable society can exist, where free and equal citizens can, through an overlapping consensus (a common agreement), agree and disagree without harm, living cooperatively despite their numerous differences. In light of this debate, this study aims to discuss the foundations of political liberalism and its relationship with the debate on inclusion. We seek to present an analysis of the possible intersections between the principles of political liberalism and some central elements of the inclusion debate. The research focuses on investigating how the concept of inclusion, as a prerequisite for expanding freedom, can be reinforced by the philosophical foundations of political liberalism. The central question involves understanding how the concept of inclusion understood as the universalization of conditions for the full exercise of freedom can be examined in light of the philosophical foundations of liberalism and the contributions of John Rawls and Amartya Sen. This study aims to explore, based on some fundamental assumptions, the importance of equality of conditions in the current debate on inclusion, particularly analyzing the ideas of justice, equity, and the capabilities approach. The methodology is qualitative, employing bibliographic research, hermeneutics, and critical analysis. The chapters of this dissertation emphasize the need for more effective actions in the face of persistent challenges, highlighting the urgency of ensuring substantial freedom in a world marked by deprivation, scarcity, and oppression. From this perspective, inclusion would theoretically be treated as the operationalization of equality of conditions central element for the full exercise of freedom within the framework of classical liberalism.