Justice as Fairness Summary
Chapter I: Justice as Fairness
The Role of Justice
Justice is essential for social institutions.
Any unjust laws or institutions should be reformed or abolished.
Each person has inherent rights that cannot be overridden for societal welfare.
Justice does not permit sacrificing minorities for the majority's benefit.
Just Society Definition
A well-ordered society operates under widely accepted principles of justice.
Members acknowledge common justice principles.
Civic friendship is established through a shared sense of justice.
Subject of Justice
Focus on social justice, particularly societal structures distributing rights and duties.
Major social institutions include political, economic, and social arrangements.
Inequalities in society must be justified by their benefits, especially for the least advantaged.
Main Idea of Justice Theory
Generalizes the social contract theory (Locke, Rousseau, Kant).
Justice principles must be chosen by free and rational persons in a hypothetical equal position.
Principles govern rights, duties, and social cooperation.
Justice as Fairness defined as using a fair agreement in a just environment.
The Original Position
A hypothetical state ensuring fairness behind a veil of ignorance: no knowledge of social status, wealth, or personal attributes.
Knowledge exclusion fosters impartial decisions on justice principles.
Equality among participants is fundamental for principle selection.
Principles must match our intuitive judgments of justice upon reflection.
removes things that would make our perception of justice unfair
Two Principles of Justice (tentative formulation):
Equality in basic liberties for everyone.
Social/economic inequalities justified if:
They benefit the least advantaged.
Positions are open to all.
Interpretations of the Second Principle
Different meanings based on “everyone's advantage” and “equally open to all”, including notions like fair equality of opportunity and the difference principle.
Democratic Equality & the Difference Principle
Inequalities are justified only if benefiting the least advantaged, cultivating an environment of collaboration.
Basic structural arrangements should counter natural and social differences that cause inequality.
Moral Personality
Equal justice owed to moral persons—capable of rational plans and justice sense.
This understanding excludes non-human entities from justice considerations.
Rawl’s methodology for constructing basic structure:
original position
critiism:
people could gamble, do a calculus, its rational because i might not be that 0.00001% of oppressed.