Question

On Rawls' ethical theory of social justice:

1. Explain why it is fair to interpret his proposal on the perrenial issue of social (dsitributive) justice as a (neo-Kantian) compromise between Kantianism and Utilitarianism.

2. Explain How Rawls' attempts to justify his proposal.

Answer 1

Kant's theory focuses on the action and not on the output where categorical imperative states that people have moral responsibility towards other people and they have to practice things in their life, if they expect others to act in a particular way. Utilitarian moral theory focuses on the outcome of an action no matter what the consequences are as long as it benefits more number of people.

Rawl places his theory in between the Kant’s theory and the utilitarian theory by making the justice by focusing on the action and the outcome of the action.

John Rawl’s social justice theory revolves around three major principles. The first principle focuses on the greatest equal liberty which states that everyone has equal right in the society, the second on the difference principle states that the least advantaged people should be given and the third on the equal opportunity principle that says that work places should give fair chance to everyone. This principle precedes the second principle of difference because the merit should be assessed based on the opportunity they got.