Thomas Paine, John Rawls, & Jean Jacques

Rousseau
▪ A political and economic theory of
social organization which advocates • Equal distribution of natural
that the means of production, resources
distribution, and exchange should be • Economic, social, and political
owned or regulated by the equality
community as a whole. • No competition for resources
▪ Basic idea: calls for public rather that • Work and Wages according to
private ownership or control of needs and ability
property and natural resources.
▪ In contrast to the idea of capitalism.
 Main Concept:
▪ Agrarian Justice (1797) • To create a national fund from 10%
taxation to the inherited land or
▪ Asset based socialism property.
▪ Earth is the common property of
human race • Distributed to:
▪ Land is the free gift of the Creator
1. 21 years of age— 15 pound sterling
2. 50 years of age— 10 pounds per
▪ No land property annum
▪ Introduction of Land Property System
or Agrarian Monopoly Ways of Distribution:
General Principle: All personal property is • 10% of accumulated land—
accumulated by man through living in the society, so dispossesed
he owes on every principle of justice, of gratitude, and • 90% of accumulated land—
civilization, a part of accumulation back again to possessor
society where whole of his personal property came.

▪ Distributive Justice
Theory
▪ Original Position (veil of
ignorance)
First Principle: Equal Liberties
• It requires equality in the
assignment of basic rights
• Ex: general rights— right to
speech, right to assembly &
political liberty
Main Idea:
All social values, by which he means
resources, should be distributed equally
unless unequal distribution works for
eveyone’s advantage.
Second Principle: Conditions of
Inequality
Condition 1: Fair and equal oppurtunity
• All higher status must be open to all.
Condition 2: Difference Principle
• Inequalities must benefit everyone
especially the least advantage
▪ Second Discourse on Inequality To overcome political and social
▪ “Earth belongs to no one, and that the divisions:
fruits are for all.”
• Proposed a social contract with
Criticisms on Capitalism: “general will”
• Humans must be materially and
• Division of labor brings light to the natural spiritually sufficient
inequalities amongst humans that could be • Institutional change
used to further individual self-interest. • Allocation of land according to
• Establishments of private property socially need
alienates members of commercial society from • Eliminate unequal accumulation
each other. of wealth in society
• Allocation of land resources to some but not to
everyone.
• Political distinctions produces civil distinctions.