According to “A Theory of Justice” of John Rawls, What is justice as fairness ?

Question

According to “A Theory of Justice” of John Rawls, What is justice as fairness ?

Answer 1

The moral language debate has taken place for decades among philosophers. The two dominant views are mainly the Utilitarian view, which sees moral powers in self-interest and utility. From Utilitarian perspective, individuals are merely instruments to attain material goals. The non-Utilitarian view, on the other hand, views individuals as having value in themselves and cannot be treated as instruments to attain any goals. John Rawls subscribes to non-Utilitarian moral perspective.

 Rawls moral tradition also shapes his opinion about justice. Like Hobbes, Lock, Rousseau, he proposes a type of social contract. However, Rawlsian Contract is somewhat distinct in the sense that he proposes his thought experiment known as “The Veil of Ignorance,” which refers to the Original Position in which those assigned to lead society are allowed to know basic laws of society but are not permitted to know anything about their status in the new world, nor are they allowed to know about their positions, gender, religion race, ethnicity, gender, age, income, wealth and so forth. This is the only way to enable them to create principles for a fair society.

 Rawls emphasizes the Principle of Difference in his ideas about justice, according to which inequalities can only be permitted when they favor the least advantaged persons. He maintains that a fair society can only be created if goods are equitably shared among all citizens and the worst-off individuals share is maximized. Likewise, Rawls rejects the modern political thoughts and laissez-faire capitalism because they encourage hierarchies, inequalities, and tensions, resulting in the failure to provide resources and opportunities to everyone. This should not be understood, however, that Rawls supports Carl Marks idea that a worker should benefit from his labor. Instead, what Rawls emphasizes is providing some universal income to the least disadvantaged groups even if they do not work for it.

 Following Rawls, the least disadvantaged groups should not be punished simply because they are not lucky to be born in a well-to-do family allowing them to acquire the useful and most demanding skills in the work market. That explains Rawls claim that all social institutions should be completely reformed in the attempt to create a just society.

  Rawls faces some objections, mainly from Robert Nozick, who emphasizes “personal acquisition” rather than equitable income distribution. Misinterpreting John Lock idea of the individual property right, Nozick emphasizes the individual property acquisition rights .He as well calls for a “Minimal State” whose role is limited to watching over others personal properties.

  Rawls, no matter such criticisms and objections, remains an outstanding figure in political philosophy, and his theory of justice is being currently studied in many World universities.