Freedom – with Boundaries 61development, from the experience of coercion or from imposed inequali-
ty. This is also part of the conditionality of freedom.
4.4 Freedom with Social Justice
Nevertheless, it also necessary to speak of the positive aspects of
freedom; the conditionality of freedom is demonstrated not only by the
negative experience of the lack of freedom, but also positively in that the
creation of spaces for the free development of the individual presuppos-
es an image of social justice as a “system of equal liberties” (John
Rawls). A central element of freedom positively understood is not the
accomplishments of those who have the greatest opportunities to attain
freedom, but fairness vis-a-vis those with the least opportunities of at-
taining freedom. This shows that freedom is never only “my freedom”.
It always includes an interest in the freedom of the other. Thus freedom,
understood comprehensively, always has the character of communica-
tive freedom.
When it comes to the realization of freedom, there is an indissoluble
relationship between freedom and justice. This is one of the key insights
that comes from seeing freedom as “conditional freedom”.^27 This in-
sight, however, compels us to stop not at an individualistic understand-
ing of freedom, but rather to understand the conditions - and also the
consequences - of individual freedom in community life.^28
27
This is the most important contribution of John Rawls theory of justice for the
understanding of freedom: John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Original Edition
(Cambridge MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard university Press, 1971); cf.
Heinrich Bedford-Strohm Vorrang für die Armen. Auf dem Weg zu einer
theologischen Theorie der Gerechtigkeit, (Gütersloh: Chr. Kaiser/Gütersloher
Verlagshaus, 1993). 28
Cf. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Gemeinschaft aus kommunikativer Freiheit.
Sozialer Zusammenhalt in der modernen Gesellschaft. Ein theologischer
Beitrag, (Gütersloh: Chr. Kaiser/Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 1998). On the role of
the concept of freedom in recent Protestant ethics, see this presentation of texts
by Hans G. Ulrich (ed.), Freiheit im Leben mit Gott. Texte zur Tradition
evangelischer Ethik, (Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 1993).