Philosophy Essay
JUSTICE AS FAIRNESS
John Rawls 1921-2002 “A Theory of Justice” (1971)
A society is fair (non-coercive) if rational, free, moral individuals would consent to the social roles they have.
People are morally equal and deserve maximum liberty compatible with the rights of everyone else.
Society is a Cooperative Scheme for
Mutual Advantage
A society is fair if:
rational, free, moral individuals would consent to the social roles they have.
The rules of justice are deliberately chosen, willingly accepted, acknowledged, and implemented.
Justice as Fairness
Political: Concerned with the Basic Structure of society, the pervasive, powerful, and inescapable rules, norms, and institutions that define citizens’ social lives.
Not Metaphysical: Does not rely on any particular Conception of the Good
Justice as Fairness
The pervasive, fundamental, and inescapable rules, norms, and institutions that define citizens’ social lives and regulate how the fundamental benefits and burdens of society are distributed.
The Basic Structure
Society should be fair!
Agree
Disagree
A perfectly even distribution is the fairest, but we don’t want to be inefficient!
Principle of Efficiency: A society is efficient if it could not make anyone better off without making someone else worse off.
Equality of Opportunity: Beneficial roles are available to the talented and hard-working.
Justice as Fairness: The Informal Argument
Principle of Efficiency + Formal Equality of Opportunity = Natural Liberty
Justice as Fairness: The Informal Argument
Principle of Efficiency + Formal Equality of Opportunity = Natural Liberty
Formal Equality of Opportunity (legal access to careers) is not good enough. Why?
Justice as Fairness: The Informal Argument
Principle of Efficiency + FAIR Equality of Opportunity = Liberal Equality
Justice as Fairness: The Informal Argument
Principle of Efficiency + FAIR Equality of Opportunity = Liberal Equality
Still not good enough! Why not?
Justice as Fairness: The Informal Argument
Principle of Efficiency + FAIR Equality of Opportunity = Liberal Equality
Still not good enough! Why not?
Arbitrarily rewards the winners of the talent lottery.
Justice as Fairness: The Informal Argument
Democratic Equality = Fair Equality of Opportunity + The Difference Principle: Inequalities are justified only when they benefit the least advantaged
Justice as Fairness
Rules are fair when they are chosen according to a Pure Procedural Justice
Contrast with Perfect Procedural Justice and Imperfect Procedural Justice
Justice as Fairness: The Formal Argument
The Original Position
The Veil of Ignorance
Justice as Fairness: The Formal Argument
You don’t know the details about your place in society.
Race, Class, Gender, Talent, Religion, etc.
You do know you will have a conception of the good, but you don’t know what it will be.
The Original Position
You don’t know the details about your place in society.
Race, Class, Gender, Talent, Religion, etc.
You do know you will have a conception of the good, but you don’t know what it will be.
What sort of society would you pick, from this position?
The Original Position
You don’t know the details about your place in society.
Race, Class, Gender, Talent, Religion, etc.
You do know you will have a conception of the good, but you don’t know what it will be.
What sort of society would you pick, from this position?
Rawls thinks it will be one where, no matter how lucky or unlucky you are, you will have a reasonable chance to pursue your conception of the good.
The Original Position
What do you think?
Awesome! I’m a Rawlsian!
Pretty cool, but there are some bits I don’t like
Some nice ideas, but mostly meh
Garbage
Which argument was stronger?
The Formal Argument from choice in the Original Position
The Informal argument based on everyone’s moral equality