Rawls and Ideal Theorising

Question 1

What is the “original position” in Rawls’ theory?

Answer 1

A hypothetical scenario where free and equal persons choose principles of justice under conditions of fairness, abstracted from personal contingencies such as social status or talents

Original Position - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Question 2

What is the “veil of ignorance”?

Answer 2

A thought experiment that blocks knowledge of one’s own race, class, gender, or abilities so that chosen principles of justice are unbiased.

“As free persons, citizens recognize one another as having the moral power to have a conception of the good.” ― John Rawls (Quotes by John Rawls (Author of A Theory of Justice) - Goodreads)

Question 3

What are Rawls’ two principles of justice?

Answer 3

• Equal basic liberties: Each person has an equal right to a fully adequate scheme of equal basic liberties.
• Difference principle: Social and economic inequalities are arranged to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged and attached to offices open to all under fair equality of opportunity

(The Argument for the Difference Principle and the Four Stage …)

Question 4

How does Rawls distinguish ideal from non-ideal theory?

Answer 4

• Ideal theory assumes full compliance and favorable conditions, defining the best possible justice.
• Non-ideal theory addresses violations (e.g., injustice, non-compliance) by referencing the ideal baseline to guide real-world reforms

(John Rawls - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Question 5

How does Rawls draw from German Idealism?

Answer 5

Like Kant, he seeks universal principles of justice discoverable by reason; like Hegel, he views political philosophy as reconciling passion and reason in social institutions

(John Rawls - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Question 6

Why did Rawls reject traditional theodicy?

Answer 6

The Holocaust’s enormity shattered any notion that evil could be rationally justified; Rawls turned to secular theory to provide reconciliation and hope through political institutions

([PDF] Ideal Theory after Auschwitz? The Practical Uses and Ideological …)

Question 7

What is G. A. Cohen’s main objection to the difference principle?

Answer 7

He argues it permits unequal rewards for socially necessary but unchosen traits, breaking the original position’s initial equality by allowing ‘the fortuitousness of natural endowments’ to justify inequality

([PDF] The Limits of an Egalitarian Ethos: GA Cohen’s Critique of Rawlsian …)

Question 8

How do public-choice theorists challenge Rawls?

Answer 8

They assert Rawls underestimates self-interested behavior in political institutions, confining his ideal theory’s relevance to the choice of principles, not their real-world implementation

(Public choice theory (Chapter 170) - The Cambridge Rawls Lexicon)

Question 9

What is “reflective equilibrium”?

Answer 9

A method where one’s specific judgments and general principles are adjusted until they cohere into a consistent set, grounding justifications for political convictions

(John Rawls - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Question 10

What makes Rawls’ “Justice as Fairness” an example of ideal theorizing?

Answer 10

• Relies on simplifying assumptions (full compliance, favorable conditions).
• Constructs a purely hypothetical benchmark society.
• Intends the ideal model to guide but not fully describe, real-world policy

(John Rawls - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)