“Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought.”
John Rawls · Political philosophy
justicesocietyethics
Well attested
Philosopher
Last reviewed:
John Rawls
1921–2002 · Political philosophy · Modern
John Rawls restarted liberal political philosophy in the Anglo-American conversation with A Theory of Justice in 1971. Justice, he says, is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought. The subject is the basic structure, not every private fault. Justice as fairness is the name of the view: the principles are what parties would agree to in an original position, behind a veil of ignorance, not knowing their place, talents, or conception of the good.
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The veil is a thought experiment. It is not a description of Parliament and not a call to be vaguely empathetic, though empathy may be a side effect. He argues for equal basic liberties and for inequalities arranged to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged. Political Liberalism and Justice as Fairness: A Restatement revise the presentation.
A sentence from 1971 should not be asked to carry the revisions. He writes a deliberate, unshowy English. The showy version, 'justice as fairness' as if it were a proverb, is a title. The sentences worth citing are the ones that say what the title is guiding.
Start here
A Theory of Justice, sections 1–4 and section 24.
You get the stake, the subject, and the veil in his own sentences before the machinery of the proofs.
Quotations
“The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance.”
John Rawls · Political philosophy
justiceknowledgesociety
Paraphrase or translation
“Among the essential features of this situation is that no one knows his place in society.”
John Rawls · Political philosophy
justiceknowledgesociety
Well attested
“The guiding idea is that the principles of justice for the basic structure of society are the object of the original agreement.”
John Rawls · Political philosophy
justicesocietyethics
Well attested
“Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override.”
John Rawls · Political philosophy
justicesocietyethics
Well attested
Key ideas
Basic structure
The main institutions, not personal virtue, are the subject of these principles.
Original position
A hypothetical agreement under constraints that represent fairness.
Veil of ignorance
You do not know your place. The not-knowing is the device, not a lifestyle.
Two principles
Equal basic liberties, and inequalities to the benefit of the least advantaged.
Major works
A Theory of Justice (1971)
The book. Sections 1, 3, and 24 are the sentences people need.
Political Liberalism (1993)
A later recasting. Not the same argument word for word.
Justice as Fairness: A Restatement (2001)
The short late statement.
Influences
Influenced
- Martha Nussbaum
- Robert Nozick
Common misreadings
- The veil is not how constitutions are actually written. It is a way of representing fairness.
- 'Justice as fairness' is a name. The guiding idea is the original agreement about the basic structure.
- First virtue does not mean only virtue. He ranks criteria. Efficiency returns, constrained.
Famous lines John Rawls never said
None of the lines this library files for John Rawls is marked Questionable or Misattributed. That is only a fact about these cards. It is not a certificate that every popular sentence is theirs.
FAQ
What is the best book to start with?
A Theory of Justice, sections 1–4 and section 24. You get the stake, the subject, and the veil in his own sentences before the machinery of the proofs.
What is the most famous quote?
This library does not measure fame, and it does not rank lines by how often they are shared. The first line it files for John Rawls that is not marked Questionable or Misattributed is “Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought.” (A Theory of Justice, §1, Well attested).
What is the most misquoted line?
None of the lines this library files for John Rawls is marked Misattributed or Questionable. That is a fact about these cards, not a certificate that every popular sentence is theirs.
What is one key idea, in a sentence?
Basic structure: The main institutions, not personal virtue, are the subject of these principles.