Political Philosophy Section 2

justice as fairness

A just society is one in which all morally important goods are distributed equally unless an unequal distribution of any one of those goods is to everyone's advantage. This is Rawls’ alternative to utilitarianism, using the two principles of justice, which say each person has a right to an equal set of equal basic liberties, and inequalities in income and wealth are just if they are based on competition open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity, and to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged. 

First principle of justice

Each person has a right to an equal set of basic liberties. Asserts that each person has an equal right to a system of equal basic liberties. The overall goal of Rawls's first principle is to determine the fundamental values of equality by establishing a set of principles that would be chosen by rational individuals operating under fair conditions. This principle demonstrates how, unlike utilitarianism, Rawls takes rights seriously.

Basic Liberties

Basic liberties are necessary to respect the dignity of a person. They include things like freedom of speech, right to private property, right to vote, etc. These rights are seen as fundamental individual rights that protect equality. These are what’s guaranteed in Rawls’ first principle of justice.

Original Position and Veil of Ignorance 

The original position is a thought experiment where individuals create principles for a just society from a fair standpoint. The veil of ignorance says that under this experiment, you can not know your class position or social status when determining a new society. The original position and veil of ignorance are part of Rawls’ contract argument for his principles of justice.

Formal Equality of Opportunity

Formal equality of opportunity says that there should be no legal discrimination during hiring. It says that income and wealth are unjust if they are based on an individual's race or sex. It requires that opportunities be equal across society. 

Principle of Fair Equality of Opportunity

The principle of fair equality of opportunity means that people with the same natural talents and motivation should have the same life prospects, regardless of their social class of birth. This goes beyond "formal" equality of opportunity, which only prohibits discrimination, to ensure that everyone has genuinely fair access to positions of advantage. This principle helps determine what a just society would look like under Rawls. 

Difference Principle

Inequities in income and wealth are just if and only if they are to the greatest benefit of the worst off. An objection is that people argue prospects in life should be determined by their choices, not by the circumstances they find themselves in. The difference principle is part of Rawls's theory for designing a "just basic structure" of society. This is part of Rawls’ theory of justice. Rawls sees the welfare state (capitalism + progressive taxation + transfer payments) as the way to realize it.

Choice vs. Circumstance

An objection to the difference principle is that people argue that prospects in life should be determined by their choices, not by the circumstances they find themselves in. It says the difference principle theory leaves too much room for the influence of circumstances and too little room for the influence of choices. This is an animating idea of Rawls’ “intuitive” argument for his theory of justice. 

Affirmative Action

Giving preferential treatment to minority candidates over non-minority candidates in the hiring process. It is a temporary measure to remedy past injustices. Affirmative action is a just policy for achieving the goals of equal opportunity, meritocracy, social justice, and reparations for past discrimination. This policy is seen by many as a way of realizing Rawls’ principle of fair equality of opportunity in the world as it is currently constituted. 

Meritocracy

When a company hires based on selecting candidates based on their qualifications of merit. This is why affirmative action is controversial, because if someone has more qualifications, they would see it as unfair. Meritocracy helps us understand whether success should be based on merit in a just society. 

Welfare State

A welfare state is in an economy where individuals own production (capitalist), the government taxes you more, the more money you make (progressive taxation), and those taxes go to the least well off in the form of transfer payments. Rawls thinks a welfare state is necessary to realize the difference principle. 

Universal Basic Income

It is a grant paid by the government to each member of society, at regular intervals, the same dollar amount to everyone, and at a level sufficient for basic sustenance. This ensures people enter the labor market on equal terms, which defends affirmative action. This policy is seen by many as a way of realizing Rawls’ difference principle.