John Rawls Justice As Fairness Analysis

John Rawls’ Justice as fairness attempts to both define the principles typical of justice and describe what a just society would necessary entail by the conception presented. What is described is not a perfectly good society, as justice is but one virtue among many, but a just one. Specifically, Rawls’ conception is that justice and fairness are one in the same. Using this as a starting point, Rawls focuses foremostly on the practices in a society, rather than any individual action. In this way, he expounds on what is meant by the term fairness and what value that term has in explaining justice. In this paper of three parts, I will first describe Rawls position on justice, including this position’s main principles. Secondly, I will examine

It would be obvious that the freedom to steel would be incompatible with the ability to own property, for example. This statement is qualified slightly, however; that it only applies universally when all else is equal. If one person or entity is to be granted some kind of additional freedom, for it to be just, it must not be granted arbitrarily. The burden of proof would then be put on the entity receiving the additional freedom to justify the existence of such an additional freedom. The second principle then would govern how such exemptions should be made

As long as someone participates in a practice, accepts the rewards involved, and acknowledges that the rules themselves are fair, that person has a duty of sorts, Rawls refers to it as fair play , to follow those rules as they were intended. It is considered unfair to use the rules as if there were some kind of tool to be exploited for the benefit of self, for example, applying the rules to situations where they really shouldn’t apply, or following the letter of the rule to not apply them to situations where they really should be applied. Accepting benefit without honoring responsibility, the concept of riding free, is also an unfair act according to Rawls. In general, this is not to say that someone should or would sacrifice their own interests, but that it is fair for them to honor the commitment that they had made.
To act in fair play is to acknowledge that others are also people - the acceptance that others have similar interests, aspirations, and abilities. Acting in fair play implies that others are more than some kind of ultra-complex automaton to be interacted with at will. An equilibrium of ideas is useful and required for justice, but that point would never be reached without a recognition of