Rawls

What is distributive justice?

how wealth, work, rights, etc. are shared fairly in a community, equality isn’t entitled but proportional, ie. financial aid isn’t given to everyone equally it is based on need

Why does Rawls think that deciding what is just is more challenging for modern societies than for ancient ones?

in ancient Greece everyone is basically the same and the only people that matter are male citizens, people would agree on what justice is, people today have different beliefs and backgrounds so it is more complicated to come to the same idea or agreement

What is the Veil of Ignorance and how does it relate to justice?

if you didn’t know who you were or what would benefit you, the choice you would make about distributing benefits/burdens, justice is what someone would agree to behind the veil of ignorance

What are canons of distribution?

rules for deciding who gets what in distributive justice behind the veil of ignorance, ie. class registration and seniors go first because they have more credits

What are Rawls’s two canons of distribution and to what does each apply?

1. equality: applies to basic human rights

2. the difference principle: applies to social rewards and opportunities, ie. food stamps and scholarships

differences can be allowed if those benefits help the disadvantaged

Why does Rawls argue against distributing social opportunities and rewards on the basis of arbitrary factors? What are the groups of arbitrary factors that he rejects?

because they are accidental and undeserved, and therefore can’t justify unequal life chances (because they are accidents of birth using them to decide who gets what would be unfair), rejects natural lottery (ie. talent, intelligence) and social lottery (ie. merit, family wealth)

Why does Rawls reject “leveling equality” and why does he argue that the Difference Principle is more just?

means imposing burdens on the most talented to make sure everyone has same opportunity, supports difference principle instead

How is Rawls’s approach similar to and different from Catholic Social Teaching?

• similar: willing to give special consideration to differences

• different: catholic social teaching doesn’t need teaching of social compact

  • for rawls it’s what people would do behind veil of ignorance

  • for catholic its what is good to do and what you should do