PHILOS 1B03 Lecture 7: 10 4 2016 - Rawls (7)
6 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
The most influential political philosopher of the 20th century. For utilitarianism, something is moral if it creates happiness. For rawls, a return to social contract theory: the criterion of rightness is rational consent. Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override. There are certain rights that cannot be stripped from us. A just state is a fair state (one that could/should gain the rational consent of its people). Just societies are those founded on fair principles. So, our society ought to be founded on fair principles. Fair principles are principles that don"t take account of special interests (characteristics that some may share, but not all). So, our society ought to be founded on principles that don"t take account of special interests. The principles that would be decided upon by people in the original position are principles that don"t take account of special interests.
