John Rawls Theory of Justice Presupposition if no

John Rawls Theory of Justice

Presupposition • if no one knew their place in the world • • where you would be born, who your parents were, what education you will receive, what generation you’d be born into if given the option to choose a form of government, everyone would try to create a government that was as fair and equitable as possible to all citizens and future generations.

Original Position • a group of people convene to form a government. • These people know that they will be subject to the laws of whatever government they form, but they do not know what position they will take in society (the VEIL OF IGNORANCE) • Later explanations say that they will form this government, die, and be reincarnated into the society they’ve formed, not knowing when or into what position they will be born.

What is justice for Rawls? • Justice = fairness • Two principles: "First: each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others. "[1] The basic liberties of citizens are, the political liberty to vote and run for office, freedom of speech and assembly, liberty of conscience, freedom of personal property and freedom from arbitrary arrest. Social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that (a) they are to be of the greatest benefit to the least-advantaged members of society (b) offices and positions must be open to everyone under conditions of fair equality of opportunity

Your Task 1. Begin in Rawls’ Original Position behind the Veil of Ignorance 2. Define what JUSTICE means to you. 3. Outline a system of government that achieves the justice you’ve described AND that respects Rawls’ theory. • SO – no matter who I might be in your system, I need to feel that there is justice. NO MATTER my position in society

Your task: • Go to the class website, my page. • Questions 1 -5 need to be turned in via email (one from every group) before class on Monday. (5 pts. each) • Questions 6 -10 need to be presented to your classmates orally and in some sort of written form (poster, PP, Prezi) in the second half of class on Monday. (5 pts. each) Goal: Convince us your definition of justice and system of gov’t are most desirable. At the end we will take a vote. Part of your grade is determined by how well you do in the voting.

Assessment • Questions 1 -5 (5 pts. each) • Questions 6 -10 (5 pts. each) • Quality of presentation (10 pts) • Voting (possible 10 pts. ) • My assessment of how well you achieve the justice you define. Would ANYONE at any social status want to live in your system? (10 pts. )