Liberalism Thinkers - John Rawls

what kind of liberal thinker is rawls

modern liberal

what is rawls’ view on human nature

mankind is selfish yet empathetic, valuing both individual liberty and he plight of those around them

what did rawls mean by the ‘veil of ignorance’

‘the original position’, a hypothetical idea where individuals would be asked to construct from scratch a society, they judged superior to the current, without knowledge or preconceptions on their place in society, such as race, class and ability

rawls’ conclusion on the ‘veil of ignorance’ 

argued that when faced with such conditions, human nature - being rational and empathetic - would chose a society where the poorest fared significantly better than now, individuals would choose a fairer, less unequal society

what is rawls’ view on the state

the state should enable less fortunate individuals to advance, via public spending and public services

what is rawls’ view on society

the society most would choose wold be one where the condition of the poorest improved

what is rawls’ view on the economy

free-market capitalism should be tempered by the state’s obligation to advance its poorest citizens

what is rawls’ ‘theory of justice’

the opinion that society must be just and guarantee each citizen a life worth living