In the case of Larmore, the solution is a form of justification that
relies on the two norms of rational dialogue and equal respect. For him,
legitimate political principles are those which are arrived at through a
rational dialogue in which the parties are moved by the norm of equal
respect. This demands that we stand aside from disputed views of the
good life and that we respect political neutrality when we devise
principles for the political order. It implies that 'when disagreement
arises, those wishing to continue the conversation should withdraw to
neutral ground, in order either to resolve the dispute or, if that cannot
be done rationally, to bypass it.'
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Rawls, for his part, sees the solution
in the creation of an overlapping consensus on a political conception of
justice. By practising a method of 'avoidance' and ignoring philo-
sophical and moral controversies, he hopes that a free agreement can
be reached through public reason on principles of justice that 'specify a
point of view from which all citizens can examine before one another
whether or not their political institutions are just.'
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