09 Rawls and Justice as Fairness Free Online FlashCards

What does Rawls’s justice as fairness aim to identify?

It identifies fair principles for the basic structure of a democratic society: its major political, legal, and economic institutions.

What is Rawls’s original position?

It is a thought experiment in which representatives choose principles to govern society under fair conditions.

What personal circumstances are hidden by the veil of ignorance?

They do not know their class, wealth, race, gender, abilities, religion, or personal conception of a good life.

What general knowledge do representatives retain in the original position?

They know general facts about human needs, social life, and economics.

What is the purpose of the veil of ignorance?

It prevents people from designing rules to favor their own position and models impartial reasoning.

Does Rawls claim that citizens historically agreed to the principles of justice?

No. The original position is a model for impartial reasoning, not a claim that citizens once made such an agreement.

What is Rawls’s first principle of justice?

Each person is to have an equal claim to a fully adequate scheme of basic liberties compatible with the same liberties for all.

Which liberties are examples of Rawls’s basic liberties?

They include political participation, freedom of thought and conscience, speech and association, personal liberty, and legal protections.

Can basic liberties be sacrificed simply to increase social welfare?

No. Basic liberties cannot be traded away merely to increase wealth or overall social welfare.

What two conditions govern social and economic inequalities?

Social and economic inequalities must satisfy fair equality of opportunity and benefit the least advantaged to the greatest extent.

Which comes first within Rawls’s second principle?

Fair equality of opportunity comes before the difference principle.

Does the difference principle require identical incomes?

No. It permits inequality when the arrangements producing it improve the prospects of the least advantaged compared with feasible alternatives.