Ethics Finals Lesson 6

• Justice as Fairness: Political not Metaphysical

  An essay by John Rawls, published in 1985
• Two main principles of Justice as Fairness

  • Liberty
  • Equality
• The second Equality principle subdivided into

  • Fair Equality of Opportunity
  • Difference Principle
• Fairness


  The quality of making judgments that are free from discrimination
• Justice


  An action that is morally right and fair
• John Rawls, 1999: 'Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought. A theory, however elegant and economical, must be rejected or revised if it is untrue; likewise, laws and institutions no matter how efficient and well-arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust.'
• Just society (according to Rawls)


  • Characterized by freedom of equal citizenship, wherein the rights of every citizen is secured and made free from any form of violation
  • Social justice must prevail at all times and in all forms
  • Injustice can only be tolerated if by doing so greater injustice will be avoided
• Concept of justice equated to


  • Division of household chores among siblings
  • Distribution of tasks among members of a group in class presentations
  • The favor a mother gives to her youngest child
• Primary subject of justice (according to Rawls)


  The basic structure of society, or more exactly, the way in which the major social institutions distribute fundamental rights and duties and determine the division of advantages from social cooperation
• If every man in society, knowing his rights and duties, can perform actions that can help him improve his life without negatively affecting others' lives, then, justice exists
• Fairness


  Involves distributive justice, i.e., characterized by a fair distribution of primary social goods such as wealth, opportunities, liberties and privileges, and equality of political representation
• Rawls' Two Principles of Justice


  • Each person has an equal claim to a fully adequate scheme of basic rights, liberties, compatible with the same scheme for all
  • Social and economic inequalities are to satisfy two conditions: 1) They are to be attached to positions and offices open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity; and 2) They are to be to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged members of society or also known as the Difference Principle
• Original Position: Veil of Ignorance


  Decisions about society are made behind this veil, ensuring fairness for everyone since you're unaware of your own advantages or disadvantages
• Nature of Theory The concept of justice makes it inherently more important than fairness
• The fairness or justice approach to ethics has its roots in the teaching of the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who said that "equals should be treated equally and unequally"
• Fairness


  A normative principle used to suggest outcome or actions ought to, or should, occur
• Justice


  More important than fairness
• This discussion is focused on justice and fairness in society, these two can be applied to many areas such as society, legal systems and the action of individuals
• Fairness or justice approach to ethics


  Has its roots in the teaching of the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle
• Aristotle said that "equals should be treated equally and unequally"
• Principle of fairness


  Found in the idea of fair play (as opposed to the fair share of distributive justice)
• Fairness


  A normative principle used to suggest outcome or actions ought to, or should, occur
• As a normative principle, fairness clearly overlaps with other commonly used normative terms such as justice, equality and morality
• Distributive Justice also known as economic justice


  About fairness in what people receive, from goods to attention. It calls for the just distribution of the earth's resources to all people.