Original Position-4: Institutions

The social and political structures delineated by the JAF principles are generally known as liberal constitutional democracies. JAF principles are applied in four stages while designing the democratic systems. In first stage, participating parties adopt veil of ignorance in the original position. Limitations of knowledge imposed by the veil of ignorance are progressively relaxed in the next three stages: (a) the stage of constitutional convention, (b) the legislative stage in which laws are enacted as the constitution as well as principles of justice require and allow, and (c) the final stage in which the rules are applied by administrators and followed by citizens generally and the judicial processes are set by the members of judiciary to check and apply correctives to administrative processes. At this stage everyone has complete access to all the facts. The first JAF principle is applicable at the stage of constitutional convention, while second principle is applicable at the legislative stage.

JAFT intuitively selects five types of constitutional democracies to analyze their compliance with JAF principles and survey what would seem to be the main features of a well ordered democratic regime which realizes JAF principles in its basic institutions:

1. Laissez-faire capitalism

2. Welfare-state capitalism

3. State socialism with a command economy

4. Property-owning democracy

5. Liberal democratic socialism.

JAFT argues that the last two forms of constitutional democracies are in better conformance with JAF principles than the first three types. It is quite possible that other variations or types exist & that there are critiques of JAFT arguments about conformance or non-conformance of these five economic systems to JAF principles and about the suitability of the principles themselves. However, JAF principles and democracies based thereon are generally seen to be in better conformance with Upanishads’ A=B and Bhagavadgītā’s equable equality than the traditional divisions & concomitant monarchies, which existed before advent of these democracies.

The Scope of Atman=Brahman can be enlarged beyond humans to include all animate (living) and inanimate (non-living) world if we interpret this doctrine as pantheist principle not only in accordance with BG 13.27-28; but also with Aupaniṣhad salient sentences like sarvam khalvidam brahma (सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म) (CU 3.14.1). In this pantheist teaching, boundary between animate and inanimate world is dissolved - both so called non-living and living entities are said to be manifestation of Brahman. We can then extend the concept of society or community to ecosystem that includes living organisms (plants, animals, microbes etc.) in conjunction with non-living components of their environment (air, water, mineral soil etc.), interacting as a system. The biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. This linking and the interdependence of various ecosystem components is captured by pratītya-samutpāda (प्रतीत्य-समुत्पाद्) doctrine of Buddhism, which is the natural law of interdependence or dependent arising.  This holistic principle linking interdependent elements of nature when viewed along with karmic law of actions and the moral code of eight-fold noble path Ārya Aṣhṭāṅga Mārga (आर्य अष्टांग मार्ग) provides broad framework within which to formulate the principles of natural justice and harmony. These principles and the constitution of moral actions and retribution based thereon can be constructed by the so called omniscient jīvanmuktas – that is, well informed ‘rational beings’ without any selfish or sectarian interests. They will follow the principle of informed neutrality (moral rationality) to ensure the applicability of other moral operatives; namely equality, reciprocity, and liberty.

Such a constitution of moral actions and retribution that will ensure justice and harmony within the global ecosystem will be seen as the manifestation of ṛta (ऋत) – the moral principle of natural justice and harmony implicit in the world order - the universal dharma (धर्म) that binds all beings together. The sentient citizens who are governed by this dharma will seek the fulfillment of its moral code: ऋतस्य नः पथा नयाऽति विश्वानि दुरिता नभन्तामन्यकेषा ज्याकाअधि (Lead us beyond all pain and grief along path of the holy Law) (ऋग्वेद  10.133.6). The ground for ṛta as well as all other moral operatives is provided by Brahman - as pure as it can be in the empirical domain.