All perspectives

Perspective voyage · 1958 and 1971, twentieth century

John Rawls — Fair terms of cooperation and the basic structure

If I did not know my social position, which rules for liberty, opportunity, and inequality could I accept?

The question that moves this idea

What makes power legitimate and rules fair?

Instead of memorizing a conclusion, follow the evidence scenes to see what this perspective distinguishes and where its explanation stops.

Scene 1 / 6Evidence-linked account

Rawls published 'Justice as Fairness' in 1958 and developed a systematic account for the basic structure of a liberal society in A Theory of Justice in 1971.

Open evidence for this scene

This sentence is an editorial paraphrase linked to the listed sources, not a direct quotation.

  • Justice as Fairness

    John Rawls · 1958 · The Philosophical Review 67(2), 164–194; DOI 10.2307/2182612

    Locator: Volume 67(2), 164–194

    Open source
  • A Theory of Justice

    John Rawls · 1971 · Original edition: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; revised-edition structure via JSTOR

    Locator: Original edition, 1971

    Open source
  • John Rawls

    Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

    Locator: Section 4.1

    Open source

Time × place

Where the idea met time and place

We do not invent a birthplace for an idea. Only evidence-backed events such as writing, publication, teaching, and reception appear here.

1958 CE · 1958

The article 'Justice as Fairness' appears in a scholarly journal; its bibliographic record does not establish a writing or presentation city.

Keep the voyage moving

Where should this perspective lead?