RAWLS THEORY OF JUSTICE AS FAIRNESS

JOHN RAWLS
- John Rawls was a prominent political philosopher of the 20th century. His most famous work, A
Theory of Justice, outlines two main principles of justice: the Liberty Principle and the Difference
Principle. These principles are designed to ensure a just and fair society for all.
JUSTICE
- Justice is the concept that people should be treated fairly.
- Rawls believed that justice is achieved through his two principles:
o The Liberty Principle: everyone has the same basic liberties, which cannot be taken away.
o The Difference Principle: social and economic inequalities are to benefit the least
advantaged members of society.
Different Kinds of Justice:
1. Retributive Justice:
- Focuses on fair punishment for crimes.
- Punishment should consider the severity of the crime and the criminal's intent, not irrelevant
factors like race.
2. Compensatory Justice:
- Aims to fairly compensate people for injuries caused by others.
- The compensation should be proportional to the harm suffered.
3. Distributive Justice:
- Concerns the fair allocation of benefits and burdens within a society.
- A just society distributes benefits and burdens in a way that is not discriminatory (e.g., not based
on race).

FAIRNESS
- Fairness is concerned with actions, processes, and consequences that are morally right, honorable,
and equitable.
- Fairness can be interpreted in different ways:
o Equality in provision (everyone gets the same thing).
o Equality in opportunity (everyone gets a fair chance to succeed).

Principles of Fairness
Fairness requires that we:
- Treat all people equitably based on their merits and abilities and handle all essentially similar
situations similarly and with consistency.
- Make all decisions on appropriate criteria, without undue favoritism or improper prejudice.
- Never blame or punish people for what they did not do, and appropriately sanction those who
violate moral obligations or laws.
- Promptly and voluntarily correct personal and institutional mistakes and improprieties.
- Not take unfair advantage of people's mistakes or ignorance.
 - Fully consider the rights, interests, and perspectives of all. Approach judgments with open-
minded impartiality (setting aside prejudices and predispositions), conscientiously gather and
verify facts, provide critical stakeholders with an opportunity to explain or clarify, and carefully
evaluate the information.

ARE JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS THE SAME?

- Justice and fairness are closely related concepts, but they are not exactly the same.
- Justice is about giving people what they deserve, while fairness is about impartiality and equal
opportunity.