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John Rawls Concept Of Justice Essay

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Justice explained
What is justice? According to Wikipedia.com, justice is defined as a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, religion, equity and fairness. The views of justice differ from person to person. John Rawls was an American philosopher, and a leading figure in moral and political philosophy. His view on justice was similar to Karl Marx’s belief. Marx’s believed that fairness or equality is the true test of justice. Rawls, rejects the utilitarian concept of justice. The utilitarian concept suggests that an individual may have to suffer or be deprived of certain rights for the greater good of the society. For example, a utilitarian would believe that although slavery causes suffering of certain human beings, since slaves are there for the greater good of people, it is justifiable to have slavery. Rawls argues this, as even I would. He says that every individual has a natural right, which even the welfare of everyone else cannot override. …show more content…

Nozick was another prominent philosopher who was most prominent in the 1970s and 1980s. Robert questioned the role of the state in promoting justice. Nozick believes the state may legitimately use its power to protect citizens against force, theft, and fraud, but he insists, “the state may not use its coercive apparatus for the purpose of getting some citizen to aid others, or to prohibit activities to people for their own good or protection.” Here you can see the similarities between Rawl and Nozick. The similarity here is that one citizen should not aid another citizen or for the benefit of the society, if harmed. The difference, however, is that for Nozick fairness does not lie in wealth redistribution as Rawls seems to suggest, but rather in safeguarding what people have legitimately acquired and are entitled to keep. Nozick values liberty over equality, so he is concerned about protecting the rights of

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[3]In a thought experiment proposed by philosopher John Rawls, individuals are asked to imagine designing a just society under a veil of ignorance, a concept urging people to prioritize fairness and equality since they can't predict whether their social structures will advantage or disadvantage them. Similarly, [4]Dr. King stresses a fair and harmonious society in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail," except that he focuses on solving existing problems rather than creating a whole new society. The most fundamental difference between Dr. King and John Rawls is that Dr. King confronts a real problem that exists in a real society. In contrast, John Rawls only proposes a theoretical solution.

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In our society, people are either born rich and powerful, having the rights and opportunities that those who are born into lower-class would not have. So why should we live in a government system where we allow these inequities to happen? In Justice, Michael J. Sandel discusses John Rawls’ arguments over defining a just society. Rawls believes that “we should reject the contention that the ordering of institution is always defective because the distribution of natural talents and the contingencies of social circumstance are unjust, and this injustice must inevitably carry over to human arrangements. Occasionally this reflection is offered as an excuse for ignoring injustice, as if refusal to acquiesce in injustice is on par with being unable to accept death.

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Rawls’ idea of justice as fairness, which he presented in his book, “A Theory of Justice,” emphasizes the importance of equal opportunities and equal distribution of wealth and resources in society. This idea resonates with me because, as someone who values fairness and equality, I believe that everyone should have the same chance to succeed and live a fulfilling life. Rawls’ work has taught me to be more aware of societal inequalities and to work towards creating a fairer and more just

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Political theorists, whether they are realists, or liberalists, over the centuries, have come into conflict over what they believe to be the utmost important task of the state. Hobbes believes the most important task of the state is to ensure law and order, rooting his argument in the idea of a sovereign ruler. On the other hand, Rawls, a modern theorist, firmly believes that a state should focus on realising justice within their society. While a utopian society cannot be achieved by either of these theories, I will highlight why Rawls was right in his assumption that the main focus of a state should be to ensure justice for all within their nation, through analysing and comparing the conflicting arguments of Hobbes and Rawls.

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