Poli 202 Rawls Study Guide

Rawls key concepts

Justice

Fairness in the distribution of goods and opportunities.

Reflective Equilibrium

The process of adjusting beliefs and principles to achieve consistency and coherence.

Marxism

A social and political theory that critiques capitalism and advocates for a classless society.

Liberalism

A political ideology that emphasizes individual rights, liberty, and equality.

Basic Structure

The fundamental institutions of society that define justice.

Perfect Procedural Justice

There is an independent fact about what is just, and a procedure for finding it.

Imperfect Procedural Justice

There is an independent fact about what is just, but no procedure for finding it.

Pure Procedural Justice

There is a procedure that decides the facts about what is just. (I cut you choose with cookie)

Original Position

A hypothetical scenario used to determine the principles of justice, where individuals choose principles behind a veil of ignorance.

Veil of Ignorance

A thought experiment where individuals make decisions about justice without knowing their personal characteristics or position in society.

Rationality

The ability to make decisions based on reason and logical principles.

Reasonableness

The willingness to recognize and accommodate others' reasonable viewpoints.

Autonomy

The ability to govern oneself and make independent choices.

Fairness

The impartial and just treatment of all individuals.

Justice as Fairness

Rawls’ theory that justice should ensure basic liberties and benefits for the least advantaged.

Basic Liberty

Fundamental freedoms that everyone should have, like freedom of speech or conscience.

Primary Goods

Goods that are necessary for individuals to pursue their conceptions of the good life.

Difference Principle

The principle that inequalities in society are only justified if they benefit the least advantaged.

Subject of Justice

the basic structure of society, meaning the arrangement of its primary social, political, and economic institutions. Principles of justice apply to how these institutions distribute fundamental rights, duties, and social and economic advantages.

Reflective equilibrium

a process of achieving coherence between our considered moral judgments and the principles that explain them. Rawls uses this method to refine principles of justice by reconciling intuitive beliefs about fairness with theoretical formulations, ensuring they align with a just society's foundational values

Original position

a hypothetical scenario in which individuals choose principles of justice from behind a veil of ignorance—ignorant of their personal characteristics, social status, or future position in society.

Veil of ignorance

Prevents bias by eliminating self-interest.

Equality of participants

Ensures decisions are made logically-interest.

Equality of participants

Ensures no one has an advantage in negotiations to maximize fairness.

Principles of justice

Equal Liberty Principle and Difference Principle

Equal Liberty Principle

Each person has an equal right to the most extensive basic liberties compatible with similar liberties for others.

Difference Principle

Social and economic inequalities are permissible only if:

They are to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged (maximin principle).

They are attached to offices and positions open to all under fair equality of opportunity.

Deriving principles of justice

Rawls derives these principles by imagining what rational agents in the original position, under the veil of ignorance, would choose. They would prioritize fair terms of cooperation and protection against the risk of being disadvantaged.

Why does Rawls think his procedure for deriving justice would be fair?

The procedure is fair because the veil of ignorance ensures impartiality. Without knowing their personal circumstances, individuals are incentivized to choose principles that benefit all, especially the least advantaged, since they could be in that position.

Predict that people in the original position would think about utilitarianism?

Rawls predicts that people in the original position would reject utilitarianism because it allows for sacrificing the rights and well-being of individuals for the greater good. This violates the protection of basic liberties and fairness, which rational agents would prioritize.

Possible applications of the difference principle

Personal rights to property, but not to means of production

 Equality of opportunity (Including access to opportunity: so, education and training).

 Equal political liberties (ex. political parties are to be made independent from private economic interests by allotting them sufficient tax revenues to play their part in the constitutional scheme)