BLOG #3 ILS
JOHN BORDLEY RAWLS AND THE
THEORY OF JUSTICE
THEORY OF JUSTICE
John Bordley Rawls was born and schooled in Baltimore, Maryland USA. He
was the second of five children. His parents name is William Lee Rawls and Anna
Abell Stump. Rawls was received a bachelors art degree in Princeton,
University. He attended Cornell University for a year and earned a Doctorate in
Princeton.
Rawls's masterpiece of political
philosophy, A Theory of Justice, was first published in 1971. Although he
wrote numerous articles in academic journals, Rawls did not publish another
book until the 1990s. Justice as Fairness and Two Concepts of
Rules both appeared in 1991, followed by Political Liberalism in
1993. John Rawls: Collected Papers, edited by Samuel Freeman, was
published in 1999, and Rawls's Lectures on the History of Moral
Philosophy, edited by Barbara Herman, was published in 2000. Rawls was awarded
the National Humanities Medal by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1999.
In
addition, a Theory of Justice is Rawls's attempted to formulate a
philosophy of justice and a theoretical program for establishing political
structures designed to preserve social justice and individual liberty. Rawls
wrote in reaction to the then predominant theory of utilitarianism, which
posits that justice is defined by that which provides the greatest good for the
greatest number of people. Rawls proposed a theoretical person who, shrouded in
a veil of ignorance, must design a just society without foreknowledge of his or
her own status in that society. Rawls asserted that from this objective vantage
point, which he calls the original position, the individual will choose a
system of justice that adequately provides for those positioned on the lowest
rungs of society. The individual will do so because he or she may end up in
such a disadvantaged position and will want to be adequately provided for.
Rawls draws from earlier theories of political philosophy that posit a social
contract by which individuals implicitly agree to the terms on which they are
governed in any society. Rawls concluded that such a social contract,
formulated from the perspective of the original position, will guarantee a just
society without sacrificing the happiness or liberty of any one individual.
Even at my early age and I am in
Senior High School, I personally adhere to his Theory of Justice. This is very
timely when it comes to what is happening in our country now. I believe that
every Filipino should be given equal right especially in justice. Both the
wealthy and the poor should be equal when it comes to justice and should be
given a chance to be heard. Just like in
his proposed principles, I also like to have equality in our country and that
those who are in lower ranks in our society should have a place in our country.
Lastly, for his Theory of Justice to be
applicable in our country, I believe that the government should focus on
strengthening our justice system. They should do something for us to have
equality. Also, for those who are aiming for equality and justice, they should
also try to uplift themselves and not just wait for the government to improve
them. Justice and equality is for everyone but we should also help each other
to attain justice and equality.
References
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Rawls
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rawls/
http://uscivilliberties.org/biography/4346-rawls-john-bordley-19292002.html
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/74263.John_Rawls
https://www.enotes.com/topics/theory-justice
https://schoolworkhelper.net/john-rawls-theory-of-justice-summary-analysis/
Comments
Post a Comment