The Difference Principle Essay

Shelby bases his theory and principle of justice on John Rawls’s theory of justice. He states that the first principle states that each person has an equal claim to basic liberties. Basic liberties here include being treated fairly by institutions because we each have to make a life for ourselves under the domain of these institutions. In his article Shelby argues that each since each individual’s life prospects are deeply shaped by the social structure around them, we cannot blame those in the ghettos for acting the way that they do. The second principle says that social and economic inequalities are just only if they are attached to offices and conditions open to all under conditions of fair equality and opportunity. Rawls has a second part to his second principle outlining that the least advantaged of society are to be the ones that receive the greatest benefit overall. Shelby

This passage particularly coincides with the concept of distribution Rawls, Two Principles of Justice. Rawls’ principles of justice include first; the equal distribution of rights and liberties for all and second; Permissible inequality in distributions, according to what is being distributed. Distribution must however benefit everyone and offices should be open to all. Rawls concedes that the government, consented for by the people should distribute economic and social goods to its citizens, yet he claims that inequality will develop over the distribution because of certain factors such as need, position and so

John Rawls a political theorist engages in various political theories and arguments that contradict, support, and scrutinizes others theories made by other notable political theorist. Rawls contemplates usage of theories such as The Theory of Justice, Veil of Ignorance and Nozick’s Entitlement Theory which will be discussed within this analysis for their relation to society and what benefits or aliments they hold if any on society’s effective function.

Rawls strive to determine how we can make a society as just as possible. Rawls derives two principles; liberty principle and the difference principle. He also gives a theoretical device that he calls “the original position” and “the veil of ignorance” this device is meant to help us in the way that we picture our self behind a veil. We do not know the basic things about ourselves like our sex, age, financial status etc. This device is to help us be totally neutral in the sense that we do not know our status in society. After putting our self in a status quo if you will, we can now decide on what us just for the whole society. Rawls derives then the difference principle. To put this is Rawls own words, the difference principle is: “Then the difference principle is a strongly egalitarian conception in the sense that unless there is a distribution that makes both persons better off an equal distribution is to be preferred

151) The second principle Rawls calls “the difference principle” which states that “economic inequalities are permitted that work to the benefit of the least advantaged members of society.” (Sandel pg. 152)

These principles are arranged by Rawls in a specific order and are subject to the priority rule, ie the first principle has to always precede the second and 2a should always come before 2b. Rawls’ commitment to equality, his passionate defense of liberty and his acceptance of inequality only when it brings advantages to the least advantaged are the basic principles of his theory. Thus Rawls advocates a constitutional democracy as the arrangement for upholding these principles. Although this theory seems like a foolproof and universal arrangement in favour of justice and

In his principle of social justice, John Rawls’ liberalism highlights two general standards: the equality principle and the difference principle (Rawls, 1971). In the equality principle, social rights and freedoms are said to be equally distributed to everyone. The difference principle, on the other hand, is the process of raising the most disadvantaged people in society from the bottom to be in a little better position (Rawls, 1971). Rawls has based his choices of principles in the concept of the Veil of Ignorance or the idea of deciding on the principles that should

The general concept of Rawls “original position” is that all social “Primary Good” should be distributed equally to individuals in a society, unless an unequal distribution favors those less fortunate. Rawls call “the situation of ignorance about your own place in society the “original position (242).” Rawls’ theory is in direct response to John Lock’s principles on social contract which states that people in a free society need to set rules on how to live with one another in peace. Rawls’ principles were designed to guards against injustices, which was inflicted upon society, with the help of John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism principle that individuals should act so as to maximize the greatest good for the greatest number. Mills

John Rawls was an America philosopher whose idea was to develop an experiment for individuals to seek a fair notion of justice. Rawls experiment was a hypothetical one that engaged the individual to look at society and fairness from another perceptive. Individuals were to use their imagination and pretend that they were born into different lives, for example, if their mother was a single parent that worked two jobs just to put food on the table vs. the lavish life style one lives today. Society isn’t just, but if the individuals didn’t know their position or their background it could eliminate discrimination and give rise for equal opportunity for all. Rawls believed in the notion of the social contract theory, if everyone was in agreement they could form a sustainable society. Rawls proposed the government could possibly work for everyone, under these pretenses. Rawls had two key principles which focused on

John Rawls just society was considered wrong to most. He says that if I can be pretty sure that I won't get caught and punished that it is rational for me to break the contract. He was a very selfish person and only cared about what was in the best interest for him. He states that we are rationally self-interested, argued that we need a society and social contract that applies to everyone and anyone. He also stated that for all of this "just society" to happen we need everything to end and just wipe the slate clean for a "new" beginning. For this beginning, Rawls wanted to enforce the two principles of justice. 1. Equality Principle; this principle states that everyone has maximum liberty consistent with the same liberty of all others. 2. Difference Principle; all inequalities are allowed if two conditions are met: positions of inequality are open to everyone, and the inequality benefits everyone.

In A Theory of Justice John Rawls presents his argument for justice and inequality. Rawls theorizes that in the original position, a hypothetical state where people reason without bias, they would agree to live in a society based on two principles of justice (Rawls 1971, 4). These two principles of justice are named the first and second principles. The first is the equal rights and liberties principle. The second is a combination of the difference principle and the fair equality of opportunity principle, or FEOP (Rawls 1971, 53). Rawls argues that inequality will always be inevitable in any society (Rawls 1971, 7). For example, there will always be a varied distribution of social and economic advantages. Some people will be wealthier than

John Rawls was the second most important political thinker of his time. His main contribution to the idea of a civil society is his theory of justice. Rawls believed in “social primary goods” which included rights,

John Rawls' "A Theory of Justice" has long been revered as a marvel of modern political philosophy. It's most well-known for the two principles of justice outlined by Rawls: (1) that all persons have an equal right to liberty; and (2) that (a) all inequalities in society should be arranged to benefit the least advantages, and (b) that all positions and offices should be open and accessible as outlined by fair equality of opportunity. Rawls' conception of society, as a "co-operative venture for mutual gain", forms the basis for both principles, and he is at all times concerned with creating a stable concept of fair and just society. Rawls' second principle, dealing with distributive justice and equality

Basic liberties included things such as freedom of speech and due process of law. He specifically pointed out that the right to own a “means of production” or business and the right to wealth were not a basic liberty. Rawls ' second principle dealt with the issue of equality and keeping things fair amongst individuals in the society. He admitted that a society could not exist without inequalities among the people due to individual characteristics such as a person 's drive or motivation, social class and luck. To adjust to these uncontrollable facts Rawls second principle proclaimed, “Social and economic inequalities are to satisfy two conditions: “first, they are to be attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity; and

John Rawls states that the principle of fairness is important as it applies to individuals the principle of fairness are a link between the two principles of social or political justice and individual obligations to comply with specific social practices (Pogge, 2007). By expanding the scope of what one considers to be an ‘end’ to include both aspects of nature as well as future generations, one can transform the implications of Rawls’ theory (Pogge, 2007). Rawls advances his theory of justice through what is called the Original Position which is a hypothetical situation in which all individuals are granted perfect equality and are asked to choose a principle of justice behind a veil of ignorance, which eliminates their biases (Pogge, 2007). The hypothetical persons in the Original Position, ignorant of who and what they will be in society and perfectly equal to one another, are able to truly come to a consensus as to what a just society would be (Pogge, 2007). Justice