Theory of Justice

Author: Rawls
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-06-01
Features: Utilitarianism holds a dominant position in modern moral philosophy. Other theories, such as intuitionism, do not provide a theory of justice, and a more abstract social contract theory should replace utilitarianism. Its starting point is that the basic structure of society is the theme of justice, and before reaching other agreements, people must first reach an agreement on the principles of this system. However, this contract is not an actual historical act but the result of choices made in a hypothetical original position. The philosophical description of this choice can only be: it is the choice of mutually indifferent individuals behind the veil of ignorance. The direct test of the chosen principles is to see whether the social system arranged according to them aligns with people's intuitive judgments; another test is to see whether they suit people's purposes. This gives rise to the three parts of this book: Theory, Institutions, and Purpose.