JOHN RAWLS
- American moral and political philosopher
READ SLIDE 1.
TRIVIA: Second of five sons
During his childhood, a tragedy struck Rawls at a young age
Two of his brothers died in childhood because they had contracted fatal illnesses
from him
- Rawls at 7 years old – He contracted diphtheria, when his younger brother
Bobby visited him in his room, he was fatally infected and died
- Next winter, Rawls contracted pneumonia, his younger brother Tommy caught
the illness from him and died
According to his biographer, this was the most important event in John’s
childhood.
READ SLIDE 2.
*** National Humanities Medal
This award was presented to him by President Bill Clinton in recognition of
how Rawls’ work helped a whole generation of learned Americans revive their faith
in democracy.
Rawls is best known for his A Theory of Justice, published in 1971.
A Theory of Justice
- Most important work in moral philosophy since end of World War II
Work in Philosophy: RAWLSIANISM
Starting point is an argument: “the most reasonable principles of justice are those
everyone would accept and agree to from a fair position.”
In A Theory of Justice, Rawls defends the conception of “Justice as
Fairness.” He holds that an adequate account of justice cannot be derived from
utilitarianism because that doctrine is consistent with intuitively undesirable forms
of government in which the greater happiness of the majority is achieved by
neglecting the rights and interest of the minority.
*** EXAMPLE USING UTILITARIANISM ***
He believed that utilitarian tradition has dominated modern political
philosophy in English speaking countries because its critics have failed to develop
an alternative social and political theory as complete and systematic. Rawls’ aim is
to develop such an alternative: a CONTRACTARIAN VIEW OF JUSTICE, which he
derived from the tradition of LOCKE, ROUSSEAU, and especially KANT.
Immanuel Kant: Ethics is no longer dependent on nature of things, rather it depends
now on the laws and principles autonomously legislated by the rational subject.
--------- Principles of Justice under A Theory of Justice
A Theory of Justice is a version of Social Contract Theory
Locke and Rousseau: Social Contract Theory ---- origin of states/how states are
formed
SCT: parties of a state enter into a social contract which becomes now the
governing law between parties
** Contract = “AGREEMENT” among members in society
Rawls carries social contract theory into a “higher order of abstraction” by
viewing the principles of justice themselves as objects of the social
contract. Reviving the notion of social contract, Rawls argues that justice consists
of basic principles of government that free and rational individuals would agree to in
a hypothetical situation of perfect equality.
Rawls believed that JUSTICE IS THE SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM.
Society, as it is conceived in a liberal democracy, is a cooperative venture
between free and equal persons for their mutual advantage. Individuals participate
in it in order to implement their conceptions of good life. According to Rawls,
cooperation makes a better life possible for everyone by increasing the stock of
what Rawls called the “Primary Goods”
Primary Goods – things which are rational to have whatever else you want
because they are required for any conception of good life. *** Includes: RIGHTS,
LIBERTIES, POWERS, OPPORTUITIES, INCOME, WEALTH, and SOCIAL BASES
OF SELF-RESPECT.
However, society is also characterized by conflict, *** Since people disagree
not only about how benefits and burden should be distributed, but also about
conceptions of good.
Problem: Conflict regarding the distribution and conception of good in the society
Solution: JUSTICE
A Theory of Justice Principles of Justice
Principles of Justice are used to evaluate the distribution of benefits and
burden and the institutions which affect them.
Rawls’ idea is to identify an acceptable conception of justice by
asking what principles it would be reasonable for the members to
agree to, which is to say, WHAT PRINCIPLES WOULD BE FAIR.
Accordingly, he calls his account, “JUSTICE AS FAIRNESS.”
