john rawls a theory of justice sparknotes

The answers to these questions differ depending on the individual. Is it right to sacrifice one person’s life to prevent the death of many others? Is it fair to tax rich people to help the poor? Is abortion a human right – or murder? Which of the principle has priority? explain briefly.Justice is both one of the most frequently debated and most difficult topics to grasp in philosophy, because our understanding of it is subjective, changing constantly over the course of history. There are indefinite ways in which all may be advantaged. ) The two principles require that everyone benefit from economic and social inequalities.

First, the priority of equal and basic liberties (The principles of justice are to be ranked and therefore liberty can be restricted only for the sake of liberty) and arrangement of social and economic inequalities (The second principle of justice is prior to the principle of efficiency and to that of maximizing the sum of advantages and fair opportunity is prior to the difference principle. Rather than compromise between them in such cases, he takes the position that there is a specific priority. John Rawls addresses the fact that there will be situations where these principles will be in conflict with each other. John Rawls theory states that there are two principles of justice, first is equal basic liberties (each person isto have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others )and arrangement of social and economic inequalities (social and economic inequualities are to be arranged so that they are both reasonably expected to be everyone's advantage, and attached to positions and offices open to all). The contract idea can be extended to the choices of more or less an entireethical system including principles for all the virtues and not only for justice. Justice as fairness is not a complete contact theory. One feature of justice as fairness is to think of the parties in the initial situation as rational and mutually disinterested. According to Rawls, 'justice as fairness' conveys the idea that the principles of justice are agreed to in an initial situation that is fair. In justice as fairness the original position of equality corresponds to the state of nature in the traditional theory of the social contract. The main idea of John Rawls in his theory is to present a conception of justice which generalizes and carries to a higher level of abstraction the familiar theory of social contract. 'Social Contract: Free people need to agree on some ground rules in order to live together in harmony.'

I expect to learn the facts, theories, claims that John Rawls will discuss in Theory of Justice and how can it be applied in real life situation.

John rawls a theory of justice sparknotes