A Critical Discussion of the Theory of Justice by John Rawls
ASSIGNMENT
Department: Program: Course: Course Code: Assignment Number: Assignment Title: Lecturer: Date: Student: Registration Number: Mode of Study: Philosophy Bachelor of Accounting and Finance Business Ethics and Corporate Governance BAC 223 (One) An essay on the Theory of justice by John Rawls Mr. F D Bisika 7th March 2013 Steve Tseka – third year A-BAF/2013/1/45 Distance learning
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Critical discussion on the central features of John Rawls’ Theory of Justice
John Rawls is an American philosopher who was born in 1921 and died in the year 2002. In His books, Theory of Justice and Justice and fairness published in 1971 and 1958 respectively, Rawls is noted for being a social contract theorist in that he believes that our obligations merely arise from a form of contract that we enter into. Rawls begins by addressing two concepts, justice and fairness, which are seemingly different, but do share a common feature which is fundamental to both of them: the concept of mutual agreement. That is, when citizens are free to act and agree as a matter of social cooperation according to the conditions that are reasonably acceptable by all parties involved. The difference is that justice is something which one has no option as to whether they participate or not while fairness in the other hand, allows one to determine whether or not they will engage in the practice. Justice may be termed as not all-inclusive as it eliminates the subjective distinctions based on one’s ability to do the job like race, ethnicity, sex and religion among others and along with that, the removal of particular social practices which might restrict one’s opportunities to enter into various offices. Justice is very difficult to be practiced in the communities and villages but can be best applied or practiced in institutions Principles drawn by John Rawls from the concept mutual agreement The first principle which Rawls draws from the concept of mutual agreement is that of equal liberty or
Department: Program: Course: Course Code: Assignment Number: Assignment Title: Lecturer: Date: Student: Registration Number: Mode of Study: Philosophy Bachelor of Accounting and Finance Business Ethics and Corporate Governance BAC 223 (One) An essay on the Theory of justice by John Rawls Mr. F D Bisika 7th March 2013 Steve Tseka – third year A-BAF/2013/1/45 Distance learning
Page 1 of 5
Critical discussion on the central features of John Rawls’ Theory of Justice
John Rawls is an American philosopher who was born in 1921 and died in the year 2002. In His books, Theory of Justice and Justice and fairness published in 1971 and 1958 respectively, Rawls is noted for being a social contract theorist in that he believes that our obligations merely arise from a form of contract that we enter into. Rawls begins by addressing two concepts, justice and fairness, which are seemingly different, but do share a common feature which is fundamental to both of them: the concept of mutual agreement. That is, when citizens are free to act and agree as a matter of social cooperation according to the conditions that are reasonably acceptable by all parties involved. The difference is that justice is something which one has no option as to whether they participate or not while fairness in the other hand, allows one to determine whether or not they will engage in the practice. Justice may be termed as not all-inclusive as it eliminates the subjective distinctions based on one’s ability to do the job like race, ethnicity, sex and religion among others and along with that, the removal of particular social practices which might restrict one’s opportunities to enter into various offices. Justice is very difficult to be practiced in the communities and villages but can be best applied or practiced in institutions Principles drawn by John Rawls from the concept mutual agreement The first principle which Rawls draws from the concept of mutual agreement is that of equal liberty or
References: John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Harvard University Press, 1971); abbreviated TJ. John Rawls, Justice as Fairness: A Restatement (Harvard University Press, 2001); abbreviated JF Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom (Oxford University Press); abbreviated DF Darrel Moellendorf, Cosmopolitan Justice (Westview Press, 2002); abbreviated CJ Milton Friedman – Freedom vs. Fairness Page 5 of 5