Rawl's and his principles

Similarly to the trolley problem posed by Mill, John Rawls conducted his own thought experiment. In this thought experiment, Rawls stated that there were a bunch of people in the original position (or the state of nature) existing behind a veil of ignorance and these people had to decide what the laws of society would look like. However, all of these people had no idea what their position in the new society would be, i.e. they didn’t know their race, sex, socioeconomic standing, nothing. Therefore, these people are stripped away of anything that would influence or bias their idea of justice.  From this thought experiment, Rawl’s deduced that all social values and resources to be distributed, will be distributed equally, unless an unequal distribution is to everyone’s advantage. Furthermore, Rawl’s also believed that the new society would be based on two principles: the liberty principle and the difference principle.

I would first like to touch on the liberty principle. The liberty principle states that each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive liberty that is compatible to the equal liberty of everyone else.  Rawl’s believed that the liberites people would decide on, behind the veil of ignorance, included: political, freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of thought, freedom of the person, freedom to hold property, and freedom from arbitrary arrest.  However, in class Dr. J asked us if we thought there were any liberties that were left out or we thought didn’t belong. While originally we couldn’t come up with any, we eventually talked about the freedom to do what we want with our body. Dr. J stated that one of the major criticisms of Rawl’s veil of ignorance is that we can’t have an extensive list of basic liberties for some basic liberties exist outside of the veil of ignorance. Therefore, do we think that the right to choose what we can and cannot do with our body is a basic liberty? In addition, do we think that it is a basic liberty that could have been decided behind the veil of ignorance?   As a woman, I think that the right to do what I want with my body, should be a basic liberty, and that no one should be allowed to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body. However,  I find it hard to believe that behind the veil people would will this as a liberty. Thus, it got me thinking are there any other “basic liberties” that couldn’t be decided on until after the veil has been lifted? If so, why do we believe they are basic liberties and why couldn’t they be decided on behind the veil?

Before I conclude, I would like to briefly touch on Rawl’s second principle, the difference principle. In it he states that: “social and economic inequalities are to be arranged such that they are to the greatest benefit to the least advantaged and that they are attached to the offices or positions of power that are open to all under the conditions of equal access to opportunity. I find this principle particularly relevant today, during our government shutdown over Obamacare.  In an article from the huffingtonpost the author states “The late liberal political philosopher John Rawls argued that inequalities in society (such as those related to wealth and income) are acceptable only to the extent that they have some corresponding benefits for those who are less well off. If we use that understanding of justice, the inequality in healthcare access in this country is patently unjust because it hurts rather than helps the least advantaged.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlos-a-ball/what-the-healthcare-debac_b_431117.html)  This got me thinking and made me wonder what everyone else thought? Is Obamacare trying to correct the injustice that currently exists in our society or is it unjust in itself?

I think Rawl’s thought experiment opens us up to our own thought experiment and makes us really look at society today and makes me wonder what Rawl’s would think of the direction the world is heading.

Just something to think on over fall break!! Travel Safe :) 

p.s. here’s another article I found particularly interesting that discusses the veil of ignorance http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/the-veil-of-opulence/