Justice or Fairness approach
Ethical Theories Presentation LP 5
Melissa Sweet, Tara Guelig, Katherine Norton
April 9th,2009
John Rawls (1921-2002)
• A Theory of Justice, Harvard U Press, 1971.
• Political Liberalism, Columbia U Press, 1993.
• The Law of Peoples, Harvard U Press, 1999.
Original position
 Position in which you are establishing an organized
society
 Society as a whole will create a good society, one in
which everyone is treated in a fair way
 To do this Rawls suggests that we must forget our
present situation
Veil of ignorance
 To ensure principles of justice we agree to are fair
 None of us know what our special circumstances are
 Purpose is to eliminate any prejudices based on our
experiences
 Idea is to maintain objective point of view
Two principles of justice
Liberty principle
 Equal right to the most




extensive basic liberty
compatible with a similar
liberty for others
Basically political liberty
Right to vote and be eligible
for public office
Freedom of speech and
assembly
Freedom to hold property
Difference principle
 Social and economic
inequalities are to be
arranged so that they are
both (a) reasonably expected
to be to everyone’s advantage,
and (b) attached to positions
and offices open to all
 Social and economic
arrangements
In this approach,
everyone should
be treated fairly
in every
situation, no
matter what
they stand for
and who they
are, their race,
culture, sex, or
sexual
orientation.
Contributors
Justice approach takes to a higher level the
theory of the social contract
John Locke (1588-1679)
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
The heart of the idea of the
social contract may be
stated simply: Each of us
places his person and
authority under the
supreme direction of the
general will, and the group
receives each individual as
an indivisible part of the
whole...
ROBERT NOZICK
Entitlement Theory
The key aspect of
Anarchy, State, and Utopia
Sees humans as an ends in
themselves and justifies
redistribution of goods only on
condition of consent.
1)
2)
3)
Are all humans an ends to something ?
Who chooses what is redistributed?
Who’s consent is needed?
John Locke
His ideas had a profound influence on the
Constitution of the United States
and its
Declaration of Independence
Revolution is not only a right but an obligation.
Money is non-perishable; therefore hoarding it will
cause harm to no one. Aware of the problem
“unlimited accumulation” causes; but does nothing.
1) What happened to Amendment 14 of the
Constitution of the United States?
2) Does the Declaration of Independence mean
anything?
3) If there is no money to be had; how can people
afford to live?
4) Would revolution violate our 4th Amendment rights?
JUSTICE OR FAIRNESS APPROACH
Niger
Delta
COMMUNITIES/ WORLDS APART
Is this fair?
Nigerian Citizens
Social Clash
Pipelines through Communities
Royal Dutch Shell
first tapped its
commercial oil well
in the Niger Delta in
1956.
US CONTRIBUTION
President Bush has
dispatched armed
attack boats to aid
President Obasanjo
in his aggressive
police-state tactics.
http://dissidentvoice.org/200
7/08/the-niger-delta-crisis/
Poor living conditions, destroyed communities,
poverty, and death are by products of Chevron oil.
What fuel do you use?
Questions
Who is the author associated in the U.S. with
"justice and fairness?
What are the two principles on which Rawls bases
his concept of justice and fairness?
Can you name a criticism of the theory?