John Rawls — Fair terms of cooperation and the basic structure
The question that opens it
If I did not know my social position, which rules for liberty, opportunity, and inequality could I accept?
- 1
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.
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Justice as Fairness
John Rawls · 1958 · The Philosophical Review 67(2), 164–194; DOI 10.2307/2182612
Locator: Volume 67(2), 164–194
Open sourceA 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 sourceJohn Rawls
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Locator: Section 4.1
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- 2
The original position is not a historical contract but a hypothetical procedure modeling a standpoint for choosing fair terms of cooperation among free and equal citizens.
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A Theory of Justice
John Rawls · 1971 · Original edition: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; revised-edition structure via JSTOR
Locator: Sections 3–4 and 24
Open sourceOriginal Position
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Locator: Sections 1–3
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- 3
The veil of ignorance limits information so parties cannot exploit their class, talents, convictions, or social position to choose principles biased in their own favor.
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A Theory of Justice
John Rawls · 1971 · Original edition: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; revised-edition structure via JSTOR
Locator: Section 24
Open sourceOriginal Position
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Locator: Sections 2–3
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- 4
The first principle requires equal basic liberties compatible for all and gives them priority against simple tradeoffs for social or economic gains.
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A Theory of Justice
John Rawls · 1971 · Original edition: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; revised-edition structure via JSTOR
Locator: Sections 11 and 32–39
Open sourceJohn Rawls
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Locator: Section 4.3
Open source
- 5
The second principle distinguishes fair opportunity from inequalities arranged to benefit the least advantaged; it does not require identical outcomes.
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A Theory of Justice
John Rawls · 1971 · Original edition: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; revised-edition structure via JSTOR
Locator: Sections 12–17 and 46
Open sourceJohn Rawls
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Locator: Section 4.3
Open source
- 6
Rawls's central subject is the basic structure formed by major institutions such as constitutional, legal, economic, and family arrangements, not one formula for every personal action.
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John Rawls
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Locator: Sections 4.1–4.3
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