74 pages 2 hours read

John Rawls

A Theory of Justice

Nonfiction | Reference/Text Book | Adult | Published in 1971

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Themes

The Original Position

The original position is the hypothetical point of the original social contract agreement. Rawls’s theory of justice-as-fairness is a social contractarian theory, so it must involve a position of the original contract agreement. Rawls’s original position is unique from other social contract theories because it’s articulated in detail to have several important characteristics.

The Veil of Ignorance

Persons in the original position are shielded by a veil of ignorance, which veils all facts about themselves and their social position, so they cannot draft principles to their unique advantage. Rawls argues this will lead to the promulgation of the best possible principles for every member of society- principles that treat all fairly.

The Two Principles of Justice

“FIRST PRINCIPLE: Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive total system of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar system of liberty for all.

 

“SECOND PRINCIPLE: Social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both (a) to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged, consistent with the just savings principle, and (b) attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity.

 

“FIRST PRIORITY RULE (THE PRIORITY OF LIBERTY): The principles of justice are to be ranked in lexical order and therefore the basic liberties can be restricted only for the sake of liberty.