Veil of ignorance

“Justice means giving people what they deserve.” This is an interesting idea that has debated for much of human history, dating as far back as to great thinkers such as Aristotle. We may now ask, how would two modern, influential, political theorists respond to this notion? John Rawls’ “Justice as Fairness” and Robert Nozick’s “Anarchy, State, and Utopia” present theories that we can use to determine and make assumptions as to how these two figures would respond. John Rawls’, “Justice as…

The two different forms of utilitarianism that are described by Shaw and Barry are Act and Rule utilitarianism. The act utilitarianism is the most basic from of utilitarianism. In this form our main goal is to maximize happiness for everyone concerned about therefore we judge every situation by asking ourselves question how consequences of specific act will affect the involved people. If the consequences of one act bring more happiness compare to other actions, then we consider that act as a…

prolong the torture and defilement of an entire civilization of people. These people deserve to be elucidated on the truths of life, and the freedoms that all humans deserve. Education and knowledge are the only tools that can save these people, ignorance is the tool that would (and is trying) to destroy them. In this case knowledge would not bring pain, it would free an imprisoned people. In concurrence with this; the Ecclesiastical quote is especially disgusting, as it is the creed of…

Harper Anonymous Reviewer Lifting the Veil of Ignorance, B.T. Washington Memorial at Tuskegee University From Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952): “Then in my mind's eye I see the bronze statue of the college Founder, the cold Father symbol, his hands outstretched in the breathtaking gesture of lifting a veil that flutters in hard, metallic folds above the face of a kneeling slave; and I am standing puzzled, unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered…

situation where political decision makers are rational, do not care about the affairs of their peers, have a sense of justice and what is good, and operate under a veil of ignorance. It is this same hypothetical veil of ignorance which is both the most important element to this theory working, but also what breaks it. Under a veil of ignorance, those making decisions on behalf of society will not know who they are going to be in said society. This, Rawls states, leads them to make moral…

Governor Danforth have a particular case of rampant ignorance. In their joint obstinance, they bring to fruition the tragedy of the Salem witch trials, a set of hearings run solely by the spirit of vengeance, hate, and ignorance. These two characters convey the dominant claim that ignorance, willful or not, brings tragic events to pass. When Reverend Hale enters the town, he, through his pride and arrogance, establishes the dominant claim that ignorance, willful or…

Ralph Ellison was a man with a love of individuality. He was a man of vision and a radical thinker. His novel, Invisible Man, rattled the confining prison bars of racism and prejudice. Through his narrator, the Invisible Man, Ellison guides the reader on a path of tribulations. His labyrinthine story shows readers the untold truths of racism, and the blindness caused by the corrupt power structure of society. The cryptic journey of the invisible man leads the readers, to a ubiquitous message…

Another reason why her parents sent her away is because of the way they treat women in Iran, they call them names and force them to wear clothing they don’t want to wear. For example, a veil. A veil is a piece of fabric that is worn by women to protect or hide their faces. With all that said Marji’s mom was assaulted by a soldier, she said “They insulted me. They said that women like me should be pushed up against a wall and f****d, and then…

Oppression is a condition that exists when a person or groups of people live within the boundaries of domination, and other people have the power to determine their actions. People experience incidents of oppression because they belong to a group that people define on the grounds of some characteristic that they share. Such characters may include class, race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, ability, age, and etcetera. Oppressed people are subject to physical and psychological abuse…

Now that the objection of self-interest has been refuted, the emphasis needs to shift towards an explanation of Rawls second principle of justice. The second principle, commonly referred to as the “Difference Principle,” indicates that, “[S]ocial 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 specifies that the “Liberty Principle” is “lexicographical”. This…