A Theory of Justice John Rawls

What is Justice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0CTHVCkm90 Define three different ways

John Rawls: Justice as Fairness Because of scarcity- not all wants can be satisfied– and people differ greatly in their abilities and opportunities to satisfy their wants Is it easier to define what is “fair” or to label an outcome as “unfair”? According to Rawls, justice is the fair treatment of everyone. What do we mean though– fair outcomes? Or fair process?

Rawls looks at justice Kant’s ethics and Utilitarianism are about right and wrong actions For example: Is it ethical to lie on a job application to preserve legitimate privacy? Rawls’ theory is about distributive justice  What is the ethically correct way to distribute benefits and burdens in society?

Four classic theories of distributive justice Egalitarian : “To all the same.” Meritocratic (or, Capitalist): “To each according to their merit.” Socialist: “From each according to their ability, to each according to their need.” Libertarian: “From each what they freely choose to contribute, to each what they have made or others have freely chosen to contribute.”

Rawls’ theory is a version of social contract theory Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau State of nature, law of nature, creation of civil society to improve/secure quality of life US society rests on such social contracts Declaration of Independence- “When in the Course of human events if becomes necessary for one people… to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station…” Constitution- “We the people… do ordain and establish…”

Rawls asks, “What principles of justice would people choose at the founding of society?” A hypothetical, not real, moment– but still a doable thought experiment A moment when people know nothing about their future: Class or social status Intelligence or other capabilities Social place in terms of gender, race, etc. Wealth

Veil of Ignorance Thought Experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-JQ17X6VNg Define Why use this concept to identify principles of a just society?

This operational procedure produces Rawls’ formal definition of “justice as fairness” Justice= satisfying two general principles: “The Principle of Equal Liberty: each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others.” “Difference Principle: social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both (a) reasonably expected to be everyone’s advantage and (b) attached to positions and offices open to all.” On the subject of extensive basic liberties…https://bigthink.com/videos/robert-nozick-individual- liberty-trumps-all

Game on Rawls’s Second Principle. You are bargaining on behalf of your client in an Original Position. You have to come up with a principle of distributive justice which your client will be able to live under satisfactorily. You know nothing of your client’s talents, abilities, gender, religious views, sexual orientation etc., except that you do know that she or he is not disabled. Fortunately, the other people in your group are in exactly the same situation. You will have to think about how you will justify your choice to your client when you find out who he or she is. Note: a prior OP has already agreed that basic liberties—freedom of conscience, religion, expression, association, and the rights to participate in public and political life, as well as the liberties associated with the psychological and physical integrity of the person — must be guaranteed to all, so you need not worry about violations of people’s basic liberty-rights. You have six principles from which to choose. Remember that these principles will govern your client’s entire life, and he/she will not be able to escape. Laissez Faire: Markets will operate without government intervention, except to protect private property (including intellectual property through patenting and copyrighting legislation) and to place modest limits on the emergence of oligopolistic and monopolistic markets. Equality of Resources: People will have roughly equal resources available to them over their full lives. Sufficiency: Everyone will have a `basic needs’ safety net guaranteed. Above that level, markets will determine rewards, except as the democratically elected legislature chooses to constrain them. (If you select this principle, be prepared to explain what count as basic needs and why). Maximin: Inequalities of resources will be arranged so that the least advantaged will better off than they would be under any other arrangement. Equality of Welfare: Resources will be distributed so that everyone is more or less equally happy. You may, if you choose, formulate a compromise between these principles, or formulate an entirely different principle. If so, it must be precise and you must be prepared to defend it.