J OHN RAWLS
Justice as Fairness
J O H N RAWLS (1921-2002)
O n e of t h e p r o m i n e n t A m e r i c a n
Ph i l o s o p h e r s of t h e 20 t h c e n t u r y

Professor of Philosophy
at Harvard
U n i v ersi ty.

H e developed a T h eo ry of t h e
GOOD as Justice an d
J u s t i c e conceived a s
Fairness
 R AW L S LO O K AT JUSTICE

 Kant’s ethics and Utilitarianism are

about
r i g h t a n d w r o n g actions.

 F o r example: Is it ethical to lie on a job

application to pre se rve le git ima te privacy?

 Rawls ’ theory is about d i s t r i b u t i v e

justice.

 W h a t is t h e ethically correct w a y to d i s t r i b u t e
 DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

H o w society d i s t r i b u t e s i t s benefits
a n d b u r d e n s : social p r i m a r y goods -
liberty a n d opp ort u ni t y, income
a n d w e a l t h , a n d t h e b a s e s of self-

r e s p e c t (e.g., e q u a l i t y of political
representation)
 F O U R CLASSIC T H E O R I E S O F
DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE.

 A. E g a l i t a r i a n
U s e of s p o r t s
 “To all the
same.’’ facilities

 Access to h e a l t h
center

R i g h t to file
grievances
 FOUR C L AS SIC T H E O R I E S O F
DISTRIBUTIVE JUST ICE .

B. Meri t oc rat i c (or, Capitalist).

 “To each according to their merit.”

The grades
you g e t Qualaiftye orf
job
graduation
H ou s in g
priority
 F O U R CLASSIC T H E O R I E S O F
DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE.

C. Socialist.
 “From each according to their ability, to
each
according to t h e i r need.”

F in a n cia l
aid

T u t or ia l

s u p p or t
 F O U R CLASSIC T H E O R I E S O F
DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE.

D. L i b e r t a r i a n .

 “From each what they freely choose to

contribute, to e a c h w h a t t h e y h a v e m a d e or
o t h e rs h a v e freely chosen to contribute.”

Whaotf y socuh ogoelt

out L on g-t er m

friendship
R AWLS’ T H E O RY I S A V E R S I O N O F
SOCIAL C ONTR AC T T H E O RY 

 Hobbes, Locke, R o u s s e a u .

 S t a t e of n a t u r e , l a w of n a t u r e , creation of civil
society to improve/secure qua li ty of life.

 P h i l i p p i n e society r e s t s on s u c h social
co nt ra c t s .

 Constitution – “We the people…do ordain and

establish….”
RAWLS’ THEORY O F JUSTICE AS
F A IR N ESS
RAWLS’ THEORY O F JUSTICE AS FA I R N E S S

O r i g i n a l Position
John Rawls’ imaginary setting in

wfuhnidcahm wen ctanl pidrienctipflye shtoef

justice from a n objective, i m p a r t i a l
perspective, a s rational agents,
rather than as
‘interested parties’: similar to the
‘state of nature’ in the social c o n t r a t c t
t he o r i e s of Hobbes, Locke, a n d
RAWLS’ THEORY O F JUSTICE AS FAIRNESS

 Veil of I g n o r a n c e
John Rawls’ mechanism for imaginatively
e n t e r i n g i n t o t h e original position by
avoiding all p e r s o n a l c o n s i d e ra t i o n s i n t h e
process of d e t e r m i n i n g principles of justice;
i t is a p r o b l e m solving device t h a t p r e v e n t

u s from k n o w i n g o u r social s t a t u s , w h a t
property we own, what we like or don’t like,
h o w i n t e l l i ge n t w e a r e , w h a t o u r t a l e n t s
a n d s t r e n g t h s a n d so o n
R AWLS’ O P E R AT I O N A L D E F I N I T I O N O F
“ J U S T I C E AS FAIRNESS .”
 T h i n k yourself b a c k to t h e original
position a n d p u t yourself b e h i n d t h e veil
of i gnora nce .

   A s k yourself w h e t h e r a proposed r u l e
for
d i s t r i b u t i n g benefits a n d b u r d e n s
is a c ce p t a b l e to you.

 If not , t h e n i t c a n n o t be fair, a n d
therefore
i t c a n n o t be just  –  so, t h e r u l e m u s t
 “JUSTICE AS FA I R N E S S .”
 J u s t i c e = satisfying two g e n e ra l principles:

 “First: each person is to have an equal

right to
t h e m o s t extensive basic liberty compatible
w i t h a si mi l a r liberty for others.”

 “Second: social and economic inequalities are

to be a r r a n g e d so t h a t t h e y a r e bo t h (a)
reasonably expected to be to everyone’s
a d v a n t a g e a n d (b) a t t a c h e d to positions a n d
offices open to all.”
 R  AWLS ’ F I R S T P R I N C I P L E
 T h e basic liberties for all citizens:

R i gh t to hold
pe rso n a l p ro pe rt y

Political liberty (right

to vote a n d be
eligible
for public office).
F r e e d o m of
s p ee ch
and
assembly
 R  AWLS ’ S E C O N D PRINCIPLE
 Hol di ng positions of a u t h o r i t y a n d
offices
of Fc oormexample,
 m a n d o no
p e nh eis
r e dclear
i t a r y epositions.
nough.

No exclusions b a s e d on ge nder, race, etc.
 No “tests” based on wealth or property.


 Asor rtahnagtienvge rsyocinael baende efictosn iosm
leiscs i ncleqauri.ties
 However, R a w l s provides t h e f r a m e w o r k for
t h i n k i n g a b o u t this – original position a n d veil
of ignorance.
P R I O R I T I E S A M O N G R AWLS’ P R I N C I P L E S

 T h e basic r i g h t s a n d liberties
for
all principle h a s first priority
a n d t a k e s precedence.
 T h i s means, among other

things,
t h a t you c a n n o t justify a
d e c re a s e i n liberty on t h e
b a s is