Gerry Gaus describes one of the central questions of liberal political theory this way:
The question that has occupied liberal political theory is whether free and equal persons can all endorse a common political order even though their private judgments about the good and justice are so often opposed.
Source: Gerry Gaus, The Order of Public Reason
Rawls’s Answer
Rawls thinks the answer is yes.
Free and equal persons can endorse a common political order if they deliberate behind the veil of ignorance.
The Veil of Ignorance
Imagine that a society must choose the rules it will follow.
To begin the deliberations, everyone goes into a magic room.
In this room, they suddenly forget whether they are:
- Rich or poor
- Upper class or lower class
- Male or female
- Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, or something else
In other words, they become ignorant of what place they hold in society.
They do not know where they will end up once the rules are chosen.
The question is:
What rules would these individuals all agree on?
1. The Principle of Equal Basic Liberties
Each person should have an equal right to the most extensive set of basic liberties compatible with a similar set of liberties for others.
These basic liberties include:
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom of conscience
- The right to vote
- Other similar basic liberties
2. The Difference Principle
Social and economic inequalities are permissible only if they benefit the least advantaged members of society.
These inequalities must also be attached to positions and offices open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity.
In other words, inequality is not automatically unjust.
But inequality must be arranged so that it helps those who are worst off.
Questions
-
Why would everyone agree to these two principles?
-
What sorts of inequalities would be allowed under the difference principle?
-
Do you think Rawls’s society would have a strong government or a weak government?
-
What other basic liberties would be included in this society? Health care? Education?
-
Rawls’s theory is typically described as an ideal theory, which looks at an already well-ordered society. Are ideal theories useful? Should we think instead about realistic societies? How might this change the discussion?
-
Is it even possible to reason behind the veil of ignorance?