Mark M.

Gatus, LPT
Marck Zaldy O. Camba, LPT

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 Introduction

What Is This Lesson About?

John Rawls (1921-2002) was a notable American Philosopher in the liberal

tradition. His philosophy of justice were widely read and was very prominent
particularly his notion of justice as fairness. In a nutshell, it offers a basis for the fair
use of political power as a member of the family of liberal political conceptions
of justice. In this module, we will tackle John Rawls’ philosophy of justice and
analyze its significance and application in addressing contemporary moral issues.

Learning Objective

After completing the lesson, you will be able to:

1. Explain John Rawls’ Justice as Fairness.

2. Apply the concept of veil of ignorance to contemporary moral issues.

Activities

(The discussion is taken from the book of F.J. Evangelista

and N. Mabaquiao Jr titled “Ethics: Theories and
Let’s Read! Applications & Y. S. Kao titled “What’s in it for me? On
Egoism and Social Contract Theory)

John Rawls (1921-2002) was one, if not the most, influential philosopher in the liberal
tradition. He is well known for his concept of distributive justice which refers to the fair
distribution or allocation of burdens and benefits (such as either resources, wealth,
property, or right). Accordingly, there are seven theories on distributive justice: The first is
(1) Egalitarian Justice, which states that distribution is fair if each and every member of a
group receives and equal share of the contribution. This may include either legal rights or
socioeconomic rights, or both. The second theory is (2) Capitalist Justice, which states
that distribution is fair if every member of the group receives his/her share in the
distribution in proportion to his/her contribution to the success of the goals of the group.
In other words, the greater one’s contribution, the greater should be his/her share in the
distribution. The third is (3) Socialist Justice, which states that a certain distribution is fair if
every member of a group receives his/her share in the distribution according to or in
proportion to his/her needs. In other words, the greater ones needs, the greater should
be his/her share in the distribution. The fourth is (4) Justice as Fair Opportunity, which states
that a certain distribution is fair if every member of a group receives his/her share in the
distribution according to or in proportion to the effort extended in achieving the goals of

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 the group. In other words, the greater one’s effort, the greater should be his/her share in
the distribution. What makes “effort” different from “contribution” however is that
contribution refers to actual productivity, in other words the result itself, while effort refers
to the amount of work or energy one exerts to make a contribution. The fifth theory is (5)
Utilitarian Justice, which believes that a distribution is fair as long as its results to the
maximization of the aggregate good or welfare of all persons involved in the distribution.
In other words, it is a fair distribution if the action produces the greater or highest overall
happiness. The sixth theory is (6) Justice as Fairness, which states that a certain distribution
in a group is fair if the principles that govern such distribution were chosen by the
members in a fair manner. In other words, the member should forget their self-interests
and all aspects irrelevant to the issue. This theory also assumes that if distributive principles
are chosen in a fair manner, then the distribution that will follow will likewise be fair. The
seventh is (7) Libertarian Justice which states that a distribution is fair when no moral rights
are violated in acquiring and transferring ownership of the goods to be distributed.

With all that regard, we could see that Rawls developed a social contract theory
that answers the question: “What terms of cooperation would free and equal citizens
agree to under fair conditions?” Whereas Thomas Hobbes’s social contract is based on
the state of nature, Rawls’s is based on “the original position of equality” where individuals
are free and equal beings, and collectively, figure out the social contract that they agree
upon. Rawls asserted that people in the original position make the bargain under a “veil
of ignorance,” that is, people have no idea of their natural talents and their social
position. Since people are not aware of any natural or social differences between them,
therefore, they are equal and more likely to act toward each other in a non-biased,
impartial way. Nevertheless, Rawls’s idea of the “original position” does not refer to any
actual historical event. Rather, it is a device that helps us vividly imagine a fair and
impartial point of view, when we reason about fundamental principles of justice. To
maximize one’s own best interest in this condition, Rawls believe that, people will come
up with and endorse a fair contract in an impartial way. If inequality is unavoidable, it
must be justified to those made worse off, and perhaps even subject to their veto. Hence,
vulnerable people won’t be excluded from the domain of morality as they will be in
Gauthier’s picture. Rawls assumes that people will act benevolently if they are rational,
self-interested, and behind the veil of ignorance. Thus, the original position “represents
equality between human beings as moral persons” (Rawls 1971, 190).

For your assigned reading for this topic, please refer to the following materials:

1. "Distributive Justice" by Michael Allingham. Available online: https://iep.utm.edu/dist-

jus/#SH2a

2. "John Rawls" by Leif Wenar. Available online: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rawls/

Here are some guide questions for your readings:

1. What is the central theme of Justice Theory?

2. Distinguish libertarian and egalitarian theories of justice?
3. What is John Rawls' notion of 'Justice as Fairness'?

Note: Do not limit yourself to the suggested readings I gave, you can browse the internet for
other readings/credible sources about the topic. If you have questions and clarifications
about the topic covered by the module, or any other concerns about our subject, my
communication lines are open. Just let me know and as always, I am happy to assist.

LETS WATCH! To further supplement your understanding of the topic, please watch the online
video lecture:

1. Introduction to Rawls: A Theory of Justice. Available online:

Prepared by:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6k08C699zI
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
2. The Rawlsian Social Contract. Available Online:
 Learning Output

INSTRUCTIONS

1. After reading the module, discuss significant ideas you have learned
among the member of the group.
2. Reflect and compose an essay paper to the question written below;

What is Rawls’ Theory of Justice? What insights can be drawn from his notion
of veil of ignorance? Would it address socio-political issues of time, say on
gender inequalities, racial discrimination, and other related issues? Support
your answer by citing a concrete case.

3. Collaborate and brainstorm among your group members the situation

given and compose an essay with at least 400 words. If you have conflicting
opinions and disagreements, make sure that you will discuss them and
decide who has a sound or better opinion before writing the essay paper.
4. In writing, use Tahoma, Arial, or Times New Roman font style and use font
size 12. Write your reflection paper on a short bond paper with a margin of
1 inch on each side, single spacing.
5. Do not forget to write the members of the group. Write the name of the
members in alphabetical order. Take note that members of the group
whose name is not written will not earn any points from the score of the
group.
6. After, turn-in your essay paper in our google classroom on or before the set
deadline of submission.

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 References

Allingham, M. (n.d.). Distributive Justice. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

https://iep.utm.edu/dist-jus/#SH2a

Mabaquiao, N., Jr., & Evangelista, F. (2020). Ethics: Theories and

Applications. Manila: Anvil Publishing.

Matthews, G. (2020). Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics. Available online:

https://press.rebus.community/intro-to-phil-ethics/

Rawls, J. (1971). A Theory of Justice, reissue ed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University
Press.

Then & Now. (2020, July 2). Introduction to Rawls: A Theory of Justice [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6k08C699zI

Wenar, L. (2021, April 12). John Rawls. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rawls/

YaleCourses. (2011, April 6). 16. The Rawlsian Social Contract [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uV3p9bMD4I

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department