Political Science: John Rawls
John Rawls: Political Philosopher
In the Preface to A Theory of Justice, the late philosopher John Rawls goes beyond what would normally be expected of an author in terms of laying out practical suggestions "to make things easier for the reader," such as noting that his "fundamental intuitive ideas of the theory of justice" are to be found on the first four pages of Chapter I. He also reports that in finishing the final three different versions of manuscript for the book, he passed those versions among "students and colleagues," and that he "benefited beyond estimation from the innumerable suggestions and criticisms" he received.
Rawls even went to the trouble of mentioning the names of colleagues who had contributed ideas, suggestions and criticisms; and he has delved into the specific changes that those individuals added to his final manuscript. This openness on his part would seem to suggest that Rawls was not egotistical or arrogant when it came to the ideas he had worked so hard to fine-tune and convey. Perhaps that is why his narrative seems so fresh, although sometimes it is difficult, if not impossible, for the lay person to totally understand what he is conveying.
What is Rawls saying about justice in his deep and somewhat dryly written work?
John Rawls makes clear on page 3 of Chapter I ("Justice as Fairness") that he intends to "work out a theory of justice" that is a "viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition." He is letting readers know here that he is not satisfied with the way our society approaches the concept of justice, though he doesn't spell out what kind of justice he alludes to at this point.
He then, on the same page, writes: "Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought." By putting "virtue" and "social institutions" in the same sentence (by way of comparison), he is apparently alerting the reader that he is about to give his theory on contemporary society, and that should be interesting. And his following sentence seems a kind of justification for his need to redefine justice: "A theory however elegant and economical must be rejected or revised if it is untrue ... "
And, he continues, on page 3, "likewise, laws and institutions no matter how efficient and well-arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust." He sounds like the brilliant professor that he was when he writes, "Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override." And the follow-up to that, which sums up much of what Rawls says throughout this sometimes confusing book, is that "For this reason justice denies that the loss of freedom for some is made right by a greater good shared by others."
Meanwhile, on pp. 7-8, Rawls asserts that his discussion of justice does not concern itself with "the justice of institutions and social practices generally except in passing the justice of the law of nations and of relations between states." In a well-ordered society, he continues, "Everyone is presumed to act justly and to do his part in upholding just institutions." That, to the student who is only now learning about these concepts, is a very bold presumption -- because any alert citizen knows people and institutions do not act justly.
Rawls' "Main Idea of the Theory of Justice" (pp. 11-17) requires the lay person to carefully dig into the writing, digesting a little at a time rather than attempting to swallow the entire explanation of his theory. Rawls' theories are profound yet sometimes approaching the esoteric to the uninitiated in deeper realms of philosophical thought.
He prefers to think of his justice principles as "fairness," making a wide social sweep in his ideas. This fairness (12) "ensures that no one is advantaged or disadvantaged in the choice of principles by the outcome of natural chance."
In going to great...
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