What are John Rawls core arguments in favor of liberalism?

Question

John Rawls is probably one of the most important recent liberal political theorists, but it seems that few people understand what his arguments in favor of liberalism were. How would you describe Rawls liberalism to a layperson (i.e. not another political theorist) and what were the reasons that he believed such liberalism to be valuable

Answer 1

Justice defined Rawls' approach to liberalism, primarily expressed through two principles, known as the

Principle of Equal Liberty (PEL) and the Difference Principle (Diff). According to PEL, each person in a just society has an equal right to the most liberties compatible with similar liberties for others (i.e., rights are guaranteed as long as they don't infringe on others); according to Diff, inequality will arise even in a "just" society. Those injustices should be ordered such that a) no job or economic position should be "formally" unavailable to anyone (i.e. equality of opportunity) and b) they are to the "greatest benefit" of the worst-off group. Thus, mandated systemic inequality (social welfare and charity programs, for instance) must primarily benefit the worst off.

These two principles are "solving" the problem that in society, arbitrary natural & social circumstances (being born into a rich family, natural musical talent) provide some with undeserved advantages. Rationally, society should be structured such that no one is undeservedly privileged (derived from Rawls' thought experiment, The Veil of Ignorance); instead, people are entitled to certain rights regardless of their "moral desert" (whether they deserve that right). This rests on the foundational liberal assertion that people are fundamentally equal and entitled to equal treatment under the law, in addition to equal opportunity. Without this assumption, Rawls' theory of justice crumbles. For Rawls', Liberalism requires justice (proved by the Veil of Ignorance), and justice (the two principles: Equal Liberty and Difference) fix the "natural" yet totally undeserved inequalities that otherwise unfairly determine society's structure.