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Title: John Rawls: A Theory of Justice
Quote:
“Justice as fairness begins… one of the most general of all choices …”
Expectation:
I expect that it will help me understand the theory of justice by John Rawls. I also anticipate to learn how
important justice to all individuals.
What I have learned:
I have learned the two important principles by John Rawls. The two are both important principles, the
first one is about equality in laws and policies while the second principle is about inequality in
distributions.
Book Review:
Base from the Wikipedia, John Rawls was born on February 21, 1921. He was an American
philosopher and a leading figure in moral and political philosophy. Rawls received the Schock Prize for
Logic and Philosophy and the National Humanities Medal in 1999, the latter presented by President Bill
Clinton, in recognition of how Rawls's thought "helped a whole generation of learned Americans revive
their faith in democracy itself." (Retrieved from www.wikipedia .com, June 2, 2009).
Generally, this chapter explains the two principles by John Rawls. The two principles are liberty
and wealth. The first principle is the principle of liberty which has something to do with the law and
policy accordance of all people which is to be subject as an equal treatment of the government. This
principle discusses more about equality among people. While the second principle is wealth, which
illustrates that the richness of an individual are unequal to each other. Some are highly paid and some
are insufficiently paid up. Those are the two principles that we are all encountering from now and then.
In the Theory of Justice by John Rawls, he tried to merge liberty and equality in a principled way.
By explaining that justice is fairness and it is his most famous approach in philosophical thinking. He also
tried to connect this liberty principle to distributive justice such as wealth. His first principle protects the
equality and freedom of every people.
Integrity Questions:
Who is John Rawls?
What are the two principles of John Rawls?
Differentiate the two principles.
Do you agree to the two principles made by Rawls?
Which is more important, the first or the second principle? Why?
Review Questions:
1. Carefully explain Rawls’s conception of the original position?
John Rawls’s conception of justice has two principles. The first principle explains the equality
while the second principle explains the social and economic inequalities. These principles
generally explain that justice is fairness.
2. State and explain Rawls’s first principle of justice.
The first principle explains the equal right between people with freedom same as the
freedom of others. Justice regulates and follows some various laws and policies to be
followed by the government people.
3. State and explain the second principle. Which principle has priority such that it cannot be
sacrificed?
The second principle discusses the social and economic inequalities to the extend of the
distribution of income and wealth. In our economy, not all people have the same
responsibilities, chains of commands and these make our society unequal.
Discussion Questions:
1. On the first principle, each person has an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty as long
as this does not interfere with a similar liberty for others. What does this allow people to do?
Does it mean, for example, that people have right to engage in homosexual activities as long as
they don’t interfere with others? Can people produce and view pornography if it does not
restrict anyone’s freedom? Are people allowed to take drugs in the privacy of their homes?
The first principle allows people to do what they want because we have our own freedom. But
we should know the limitations, if ever we had done something that is beyond the limitation we
have to face our own risk to it. Yes, people may do whatever they want to do in life. They are
not restricted to choose people they want to be with. All of that are freedoms, people may
choose what they want especially in their own house. But we should always know our
limitations.
2. Is it possible for free and rational persons in the original position to agree upon different
principles than give by Rawls? For example, why wouldn’t they agree to an equal distribution of
wealth and income rather than an unequal distribution? That is, why wouldn’t they adopt
socialism rather than capitalism? Isn’t socialism just as rational as capitalism?
Yes, it is possible. About the equal distribution like income, we do not choose this, but we have
to take it because it is the extent of our service that has to be paid.