John Rawls

How would you design a fair society if you didn't know your place in it?

John Rawls

How would you design a fair society if you didn't know your place in it?

Imagine you're planning a new city and want to make sure everyone has equal opportunities and lives well, but you're not sure who will end up where in this city.

To avoid bias, you decide to design the city without knowing your own future status, ensuring fairness for everyone.

Example

You decide on equal access to parks, schools, and jobs without knowing if you'll be rich or poor, tall or short, etc.

Remember this

The "veil of ignorance" ensures unbiased, fair decisions for society.

Related concepts

Swipe through more Philosophy concepts

Open Pocket Polymath