Authors and thinkers
Thinker

John Rawls

3 key ideas, each explained in our own words.

Rawls: Justice as Fairness

  1. IDEA 1

    The veil of ignorance

    Rawls asked what rules people would choose if they did not know their own place in society. Behind that veil, we would pick rules fair to everyone.

  2. IDEA 2

    The difference principle

    Inequalities are acceptable only if they improve the position of the least advantaged. A good test for welfare schemes and tax policy.

  3. IDEA 3

    Basic liberties first

    Equal basic freedoms, such as speech and conscience, come before economic gains. They should not be traded away for growth.

All 3 ideas from Rawls: Justice as Fairness →

Debates featuring John Rawls

Is affirmative action compatible with merit?Equalising opportunity is merit vs Select purely on performanceAre welfare schemes empowerment or dependency?Welfare empowers vs Handouts can trapIs judicial activism good for democracy?Courts protect citizens vs Courts overreach

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