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Questions tagged [rawls]

John Rawls (1921 - 2002) was an American philosopher.

John Rawls (1921 - 2002) was an American philosopher well-known for his work in .

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How can one argue against income inequality while defending achievement and expertise inequality - beyond invoking Rawls' difference principle?

Update: Based on some of the comments and answers, I feel like I need to clarify something. I wasn't saying that scientists and intellectuals are necessarily the ones making millions of dollars a year (they usually aren't). My question is more…
Alexander S King
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Is Nozick's Criticism of Rawls correct?

When Nozick says distributive justice 'marks a shift from the classical liberal notion of self ownership to a notion of property rights in others', is this a fair criticism of Rawls and distributive justice?
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What are prominent attacks of Rawls' "veil of ignorance" argument? Which liberal philosophers have advanced it?

In John Rawls' A Theory of Justice, he argues that morally, society should be constructed politically as if we were all behind a veil of ignorance; that is, the rules and precepts of society should be constructed as if we had no a priori knowledge…
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Can Rawls justify eugenics?

Rawls seems partial to the idea of eugenics, as perhaps this is the corollary of the difference principle. Am I correct in this understanding? I refer to p.92 of A Theory of Justice (1999): In the original position, then, the parties want to insure…
QuizzicalTest
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Is justice a zero-sum game?

I'm studying Rawls and the notion of justice being a zero-sum game has been a recurring, underlying question. His theory seems to suggest that justice works in this way, however I wonder if there are other conceptions that might describe justice…
QuizzicalTest
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Why is John Rawls taken more seriously than Ayn Rand?

I just listened to a lecture on ethics and justice, and John Rawls' "a theory of justice" was presented as the most significant work of political philosophy in recent times. The lecturer then went on to explain his two principles of liberty and…
Alexander S King
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What does "deliberation" usually mean in John Rawls' theory of justice?

“Deliberation” can mean a long careful consideration or be used to describe a process of interaction between various subject. When being used in the second sense, it refers to a crucial component of democratic regime. In the writings of some…
benlogos
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Would Rawls accept fair trade as a fair/just organization?

If we use John Rawl's concept of justice based on "A Theory of Justice" on the organisation/institution of Fair Trade, what would our results be? Would Rawls perceive Fair Trade as a fair/just organization because it helps the most disadvantaged…
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How might you apply John Rawls' theory of justice as fairness to the issue of privacy and security?

I'm a bit confused about how to apply John Rawls' theory of Justice as Fairness to the issue of privacy/security. Which statement below is correct? Justice as Fairness does not justify a decrease in privacy of users for an increased social/economic…
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Rawls and the Categorical Imperative

Rawls A Theory of Justice according to Wikipedia, and by his own admission is 'strongly Kantian'. A foundational point or axiom is his 'Veil of Ignorance' - the original position. How can this notion, if it can, be formally derived from Kants…
Mozibur Ullah
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How would you apply John Rawls "Theory of justice" to everyday decisions?

How can I apply John Rawls theory of justice to everyday decision making?
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How to argue that some inequality is justifiable in order to maximize the well-being of the worst off in Rawls's theory of justice?

In context, I have to describe what we think is a just society by Rawls theory of justice. I want to try and use Scandinavia, for example, the Nordic Model as a representation as a just society. However, I lack the knowledge and don't know where to…
Isaiah Moral
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What did Rawls mean: "rewarding moral desert as a first principle would be like having the institution of property to punish thieves"?

Justice: A Beginner's Guide (2017) by Raymond Wacks. p. 68. ` More disparaging is the assertion that Rawls fails to offer a theory of justice at all! According to certain critics, justice fundamentally concerns deserts: it is fair and just…
user8572
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What kind of paradoxes might result from applying the maximin principle in a scheme of distributive justice?

I quote from John Harsanyi "Can the Maximin Principle Serve as a Basis for Morality? A Critique of John Rawls's Theory" (1975) (My italics). But then came a growing realization that the maximin principle and all its relatives lead to serious…
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Criticism to the premise of arbitrariness of moral desert in Rawls

I am aware of several criticisms to Rawls's redistributive mechanics in A Theory of Justice. I am wondering whether there are also criticisms on the premise of arbitrariness of moral desert. I have seen Rawls's moral arbitrariness premise presented…
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