Title: Justice as Fairness John Rawls
1Justice as FairnessJohn Rawls
- PHL 110 ETHICS
- North Central College
2 Act, Consequence, Virtue
and Justice Review Why is it wrong to lie?
- Utilitarianism because the (long-term) benefit
(utility) for those affected by the lie is less
than the cost.
3Act, Consequence, Virtue and Justice
Review Why is it wrong to lie?
- Kants deontology
- You can not universalize a rule such as Always
lie when it is to your advantage - The rule I have a right to decide when to tell
the truth or lie treats others as means to your
goals, not ends in themselves.
4Act, Consequence, Virtue and Justice Review
Why is it wrong to lie?
- Virtue ethics
- practice of veracity and honesty as virtues
allows persons to discern discretion the mean
between falseness and transparency, relative to
persons and situations.
5Justice and Ethical Norms
- Ideas of justice expand the context of wrongs
beyond individual interactions to society as a
whole - Society, as well as individuals, is said to be
wronged by crime when crime is unpunished - Society, as well as individuals - is said to be
harmed when tort injuries to individuals or
groups are not redressed by law.
6Types of Justice
- Distributive justice basis for (justification
of) pattern of resource distribution in a
society i.e. norms of fairness - Retributive justice basis for classifying wrongs
as crimes, determining guilt, norms of punishment - Resistive justice compensation for injury beach
of contract, duty norms of equity
7Justice as Fairness John Rawls Theory of
Justice
- Rawls theory focuses
- NOT on foreseeable results of an action
- NOT on right or wrong principles motivating the
action - NOT on virtues of character, but
- ON SOCIAL INSTUTITONS WITHIN WHICH ACTIONS AND
POLICIES ARE DETERMINED
8Justice as Fairness John RawlsDefinition and
Principles
- Justice is
- A virtue of social institutions, measured by
fairness in allocating benefits and burdens,
defined by two basic principles - Liberty
- Difference
9Justice as Fairness John RawlsLiberty
- Rawls Liberty Principle
- Each person participating in a practice (or
affected by it) has an equal right to the most
extensive liberty compatible with a like liberty
for all.
10Justice as Fairness John RawlsDifference
- Rawls Difference Principle
- Inequalities is goods are arbitrary unless
- It is reasonable to expect that they will work to
the advantage of the least advantaged and - The positions and offices to which they attach
(or from which they may be gained) are open to
all, under conditions of fair competition
11Justice as Fairness John RawlsLeast Advantaged
- Who are the least advantaged?
- Those with lowest expectations for/ access to
primary goods what free and equal persons
need as citizens
12Justice as Fairness John RawlsBasic Goods
- Rawls specifies five kinds of such goods
- Basic rights and liberties (freedom of thought,
liberty of conscience) - Freedom of movement, free choice of occupation
- Powers and prerogatives of offices positions of
responsibility - Income and wealth
13Justice as Fairness John RawlsBasic Goods
- Rawls specifies five kinds of such goods
- Social bases for self-respect aspects of basic
institutions normally essential if citizens are
to have a lively sense of their worth as persons
advance their ends with self-confidence. - Those who lack access these goods are least
advantaged
14Justice as Fairness John RawlsJustifying Rawls
Claims
- The original position assume a group of
- Rational, self-interested individuals
- Who know that there will be competition for
scarce resources - But do not know what natural advantages or
disadvantages they will possess, or - What value beliefs or preferences will guide them
15Justice as Fairness John Rawls
- Given these assumptions what principles would
these rational, self-interested individuals
choose to guide distribution of benefits and
burdens in their society? - Rawls claims that persons in this imaginary
original position would adopt versions of the
liberty and difference principles.