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A Theory of Justice by John Rawls

Decent Essays

Original Position John Rawls discusses the original position in his book A Theory of Justice. “The Original Position and Justification” is a chapter where Rawls persuades his readers into taking the original position seriously. The original position is a position where people are equal and are rational in order to make principles that they live by fair. However, there is a problem with rational decisions being biased, where people will choose principles to benefit themselves. Therefore, the veil of ignorance will restrict a person’s knowledge about social status, intelligence, gender, race, ethnicity, and temperament. This will then define principles of justice that will not be advantage or a disadvantage to anyone in a society. Keeping this in mind, the purpose of this essay is to explain the reasons Rawls gives to favor the original position. I will then oppose to Rawls argument with two of my own reasons about the veil of ignorance not being realistic and the equal of human beings not being plausible. Rawls first reason to take the original position seriously is that everyone recognizes the original position as reasonable. In order to consider a principle fair, one must be rational with certain limitations so, it would not advantage or disadvantage any one else. For example, if a man knew he would become wealthy, he would find the principle of various taxes for welfare to be unjust. This would be the same if a man was poor and would consider the same principle just.

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