Veil of Ignorance

Notes

Claim

According to John Rawls, the way we should build or act within a society is according to the maximin principle—we should choose the world in which the situation of the persons worst off is the highest it can be. Most benefits come from a small proportion of inputs

Explanation

This is the only logical conclusion that we should make when making decisions behind the veil of ignorance—i.e., making the decision without knowing who you'd turn up to be in that society. Morality is both rational and emotional

Why it matters

Making decisions this way doesn't necessarily mean we should be egalitarian, since equality could make everyone worse off. Compared to Capitalism where you have huge inequality, but even the poor are better off than in a Communism country.

Examples

Supporters

Opposers

Open questions

Overview

🔼Topic:: Rights, Justice and Equality Source:: John rawls Source:: Philosophize This! Link:: https://share.snipd.com/episode/6140eb3e-f09d-485f-93d2-bf235b6635c2