John Rawls' Ethical Theory on Justice as Fairness

Question 1

is Rawls’s theory of justice for a liberal society. He constructs justice as fairness around specific interpretations of the ideas that citizens are free and equal, and that society should be fair.

Answer 1

Justice as fairness

Question 2

Aims to create a just society by emphasising equal opportunities and basic rights while taking into account how people should be treated fairly, particularly the least fortunate.

Answer 2

Justice as fairness

Question 3

He was an American political philosopher in the liberal tradition, born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. His father was a prominent lawyer, and his mother was a chapter president of the League of Women Voters.

Answer 3

John Rawls

Question 4

John Rawls most discussed work is his theory of a just liberal society, called ___________.

Answer 4

justice as fairness

Question 5

refers to concepts of fairness, equality, moral behavior, lawfulness, and order. It also means giving the person what he or she deserves or giving each person his or her due.

Answer 5

Justice

Question 6

An ability to judge without reference to one’s feelings or interest.

Answer 6

Fairness

Question 7

Three Types of Justice

Answer 7

Distributive Justice
Retributive Justice
Compensatory Justice

Question 8

Refers to the extent which society’s institutions ensure that benefits and burdens are distributed among society’s members in ways that are fair and just.

Answer 8

Distributive Justice

Question 9

Refers to the extent to which punishments are fair and just.

Answer 9

Retributive Justice

Question 10

Refers to the extent to which people are fairly compensated for their injuries by those who have injured them.

Answer 10

Compensatory Justice

Question 11

Refers to the fundamental social, economic, and political institutions that shape the overall framework of a society. These institutions include the legal and political system, the economic structure, educational institutions, and other foundational elements that determine the distribution of rights, resources, and opportunities within a society.

Answer 11

Basic Structure of Society

Question 12

It is also the location of justice because institutions, such as political and social institutions distribute the main benefits and burdens of social life, and will significantly impact individuals’ life.

Answer 12

Basic Structure of Society

Question 13

2 guiding ideas of justice as fairness

Answer 13

The Original Position and Veil of Ignorance
The Two Principles of Justice

Question 14

a hypothetical state where individuals come together to establish principles for a just society. This idea involves a hypothetical scenario where individuals, unaware of their own attributes and social standings, craft principles for a just society.

Answer 14

Original Position

Question 15

ensures impartiality, as individuals aim to create principles that benefit everyone equally, irrespective of their personal circumstances.

Answer 15

Veil of Ignorance

Question 16

These principles work in tandem to create a framework for a just society. The first principle ensures universal access to essential freedoms, while the second principle aims to ensure fairness in the distribution of opportunities and resources, emphasizing a focus on uplifting the least advantaged in society.

Answer 16

The Two Principles of Justice

Question 17

The Two Principles of Justice

Answer 17

The Principle of Equal Liberty
The Principle of Difference and Fair Equality of Opportunity

Question 18

states that each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others.

Answer 18

The Principle of Equal Liberty

Question 19

states that social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both –

 1.To the greatest benefit of the least advantaged, and 
 2.Attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity.

Answer 19

The Principle of Difference and Fair Equality of Opportunity

Question 20

refers to the fair treatment of individuals within a society, irrespective of their background, beliefs, or social status. It encompasses the protection of citizens’ rights, access to legal recourse, and equality before the law.

Answer 20

Citizen justice

Question 21

pertains to the equitable distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges within a community. It encompasses social welfare, economic equality, and the elimination of systemic injustices that marginalize certain groups.

Answer 21

Societal justice

Question 22

one where all members have access to education, healthcare, employment, and other essential services without facing discrimination or disadvantage based on factors such as race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

Answer 22

fair society

Question 23

involves equal opportunities for all individuals to thrive and contribute to the community without facing unjust barriers or prejudices.

Answer 23

Fairness in the context of citizenship

Question 24

involves fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone has a voice in shaping the collective future.

Answer 24

societal fairness

Question 25

aims to move from these abstract conceptions to determinate principles of social justice. It does so by translating the question: “What are fair terms of social cooperation for free and equal citizens?” into the question “What terms of cooperation would free and equal citizens agree to under fair conditions?”.

Answer 25

The Original Position

Question 26

is a fair situation in which each citizen is represented as only a free and equal citizen: each representative wants only what free and equal citizens want, and each tries to agree to principles for the basic structure while situated fairly with respect to the other representatives.

Answer 26

The Original Position

Question 27

It is a theoretical device or hypothetical separation between the decision-maker and the society he lives in. It prevents him from knowing any material facts about himself or the people for whom he is making the rule.

Answer 27

The Veil of Ignorance

Question 28

The Veil of Ignorance
FACTORS

Answer 28

Demographic Facts
Societal Facts
Facts about the decision-maker’s view of the good

Question 29

Examples of which may be age, sex, ethnicity, level of income, colour, employment, personal strengths and weaknesses, etc.

Answer 29

Demographic Facts

Question 30

Examples of which may be the type of government, societal organisation, culture and traditions, etc.

Answer 30

Societal Facts

Question 31

These are the decision-maker’s values and preferences of how one’s life should be. It also includes specific morals and political beliefs.

Answer 31

Facts about the decision-maker’s view of the good

Question 32

two main aspects of the veil of ignorance

Answer 32

self-ignorance and public ignorance

Question 33

it abstains the decision-maker from knowing anything about himself. It is essential for him to not know his own position in society, because knowing may tempt him to make decisions that favour his future self considering his private interests.

Answer 33

self-ignorance

Question 34

it abstains the decision-maker from knowing anything about the entities for whom he is making the decision. Such ignorance is crucial to avoid the personal bias of the decision-maker.

Answer 34

public ignorance

Question 35

makes the parties just be their usual rational selves, instead of being influenced by circumstantial factors. It prevents the privileged from pressurising the vulnerable or underprivileged, as everybody is equal in the original position. The veil ensures that policies are made in the best interest of the entire society, and not just a majority of it.

Answer 35

The Veil of Ignorance

Question 36

The argument from the original position has two parts.

Answer 36

The Selection of Principles
The Check for Stability

Question 37

The first part of the original position contains two fundamental comparisons between Rawls’s principles and utilitarian principles.

Answer 37

In the first comparison, the parties compare Rawls’s principles to the principle of average utility: the principle that the basic structure should be arranged so as to produce the highest level of utility averaged among all citizens.

In this second comparison, Rawls argues that the parties will favor justice as fairness because its principles provide a better basis for enduring cooperation among all citizens.

Question 38

Having selected the two principles of justice as fairness, the parties turn to the second part of the original position: the check that these principles can order a society stably over time.

Answer 38

The Check for Stability