The Principles of Justice

Justice works as a standard to achieve the ultimate purpose of all virtues which is to elevate the dignity of human beings. Social justice ensures all members in societies to have an equality of opportunities and political rights for a fulfilling life-enjoyment. Economic justice is a component of social justice. It is supposed to set moral principles in building commercial environment with opportunities being provided for each sector in an effort to have a sufficient material foundation and productive lives. Political liberties are considered as equal basic liberties for everyone which are embodied in the political constitution with fundamental political rights such as freedom of association, speech, election, rights to vote and to be treated in accordance with the rule of law, etc (Rawls 1999). In John Rawls’s Theory of Justice, it argues that

The third principle is that no one is entitled to a holding except by (repeated) applications of principle 1&2 (Shaw & Barry, p.115).

John Rawls then turns to his justice principles, arguing that the parties in the Original Position would adopt two such principles, which would structure the theoretical organization. The first and most important principle is the Liberty Principle. The

The preliminary point into an inquiry of distributive justice is to disconnect the conjunction of “distributive,” and “justice”. For the purpose of this essay, I will inherit and accept John Rawls explanation of justice from A Theory of Justice. “Justice,” according to Rawls, “is the first virtue of social institutions.” Therefore, from a societal perspective, justice as the first virtue negates the utilitarian maxim that a loss of freedom for one would be acceptable if there was a greater good to be shared by others. In a truly just society, all people are treated fair. The questions of individual liberties are taken as settled. In the just society, liberty, rights, and fairness are not subject to a utilitarian calculation nor are they susceptible to political bargaining.

The idea then of a just society I contend, comes down to people living under a fair and common law, order, political system, social organization, as well as everyone having personal and political freedom.

Rawls believes that in a situation where a society is established of people who are self-interested, rational, and equal, the rules of justice are established by what is mutually acceptable and agreed upon by all the people. This scenario of negotiating the laws of that society that will be commonly agreed upon and beneficial to

To understand Rawls’ principles of societal justice, it is important to first define exactly what a society is. Rawls defines

Rawls also formulated the two principles of justice to emphasize ideas of justice and fairness. The first principle states that each person has validated a claim to a fully adequate scheme of equal fundamental liberties which is compatible with a similar liberty for others. The basic freedoms of citizens are embodied in the political constitution. As such, citizens have the liberty to vote and run for office, liberty of conscience, freedom of speech and assembly, autonomy from arbitrary arrest and freedom of personal property. Rawls elaborates that this principle controls protection of an identical set of basic civic liberties. Rawls also relates his description of social basic goods to a specific perception of the individual as liberal and equal and as holding certain capacities and interests. This assures the members of the society that they will have all the tools necessary for a good life. Rawls himself acknowledges that this principle

In this essay I will assess and evaluate Mill’s concept of justice through the principles of utility. I will argue to defend Mill’s attempt to reconcile justice with the utilitarian principles he has explained by first summarizing these concepts and by proving utility.

The first principal being “each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with others a similar liberty for others” and the second “social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both (a) reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage, and (b) attached to positions and offices open to all” (pg.

The general concept of Rawls “original position” is that all social “Primary Good” should be distributed equally to individuals in a society, unless an unequal distribution favors those less fortunate. Rawls call “the situation of ignorance about your own place in society the “original position (242).” Rawls’ theory is in direct response to John Lock’s principles on social contract which states that people in a free society need to set rules on how to live with one another in peace. Rawls’ principles were designed to guards against injustices, which was inflicted upon society, with the help of John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism principle that individuals should act so as to maximize the greatest good for the greatest number. Mills

Justice applied to a society successfully plays a harmonious balance between the individuals within the society, and the society a a whole. Henceforth a basis of neutrality, objectivity, and impartiality are needed lay the groundwork for developing a just system to govern societies distribution of rights and liberties. However justice also encounters the dilemma of proper distribution of wealth, status, power, and individual needs within the society. Philosophers John Rawls and Robert Nozick both have competing theories that attempt to theorize how an ideal society can combat these intricacies of justice to create a just society for all members that places everyone on the same playing field. While both philosophers Rawls and Nozick offer

To achieve a just society, Rawls believes in two principles. The first principle states that each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others. The second principle is that social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both a)reasonably expected to be to everyone's advantage, and b) attached to positions and offices open to all (Rawls, 60).

Basic liberties included things such as freedom of speech and due process of law. He specifically pointed out that the right to own a “means of production” or business and the right to wealth were not a basic liberty. Rawls ' second principle dealt with the issue of equality and keeping things fair amongst individuals in the society. He admitted that a society could not exist without inequalities among the people due to individual characteristics such as a person 's drive or motivation, social class and luck. To adjust to these uncontrollable facts Rawls second principle proclaimed, “Social and economic inequalities are to satisfy two conditions: “first, they are to be attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity; and

Thus, we return to the first order intellectual tool: principles of justice. There are many possible principles of justice; however Rawls tests the following two principles of justice in hopes which are theoretically capable of achieving institutional reform. The first principle of justice is that “each person has an equal claim to a fully adequate scheme of equal basic rights and liberties” (5). Moreover, this is the translating of rights into real possibilities to guarantee that one really does have freedom. And this is a fair and concrete value which society does, in theory, guarantees. The second principle of justice is that “social and economic inequalities are to satisfy two conditions: first they are to be attached to positions and offices open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity; and second, they are to be the greatest benefit of the least advantaged members of society,” (6). Thus, there is no exclusion of any group.