Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, read Sections 22 and 24 from John Rawls' A Theory of Justice.
Have you ever wondered why Lady Justice is blind? Perhaps it is because to promote and preserve justice, we must be blind to other things. For this final discussion, you will consider what justice is and how to create just laws. Section 22 The Circumstances of Justice Download Section 22 The Circumstances of Justiceconsiders various ideas related to justice. Section 24 The Veil of Ignorance Download Section 24 The Veil of Ignorancepresents a famous thought experiment which asks you to imagine yourself as a lawmaker in a society that you are about to become a member of. To complete this discussion, address the following items:
Circumstances of Justice
- Explain what you think justice is. Begin by defining justice and then consider at least one of the following questions:
- What are the essential characteristics of justice? Must a law be just for everyone for it to be a just law? What is the connection between justice and fairness? Can equality be just if it benefits everyone?
The Veil of Ignorance
- Create a just law. Imagine yourself waiting in line to become a member of a society. To get into the society, you must create a law that you think would be a just in the society. Your task is to create a just law that will govern the society. However, you must create this law not knowing anything beforehand about who you will be in this society. This means that you do not know your race, gender, religion, political beliefs, ethnicity, economic status, and so on.
- Explain why you believe your law is just, fair, and moral.
Just Law and Case Studies
- Consider one of the case studies you used in the assignments for this course, or the case study you are creating for your final paper.
- How might the law you created for this discussion impact the ethical issue or problem addressed in the case study?
The total word count for all your posts should be at least 750 words, excluding references.