Question

“Original position” and “Veil of ignorance” are part of the hypothetical conditions that John Rawls asks us to apply before we can come up with principles of distributive justice. Which among the following highlight(s) the significance of these hypothetical conditions?

• A. They help maintain impartiality
• B. They prevent manipulation of rules to favour ourselves over others
• C. They eliminate societal differences of race, gender, and caste
• D. They instill values of empathy and kindness

Hint:

When dealing with theories of justice, focus on fairness and the principles that ensure equality and impartiality.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A, B, C

John Rawls’s “original position” and “veil of ignorance” are designed to remove personal biases and help us formulate just principles. 
Step 1: Understanding the key idea. 
Rawls suggests that in the original position, we should imagine we do not know our personal characteristics (e.g., race, gender, etc.) and this ensures impartiality. 
Step 2: Evaluate options. 
(A) and (B) both align with maintaining fairness and preventing self-interested bias. 
(C) While eliminating societal differences could be a result of impartiality, it is not directly addressed by the veil of ignorance. 
(D) Empathy and kindness are valuable, but Rawls’s model primarily focuses on fairness and impartiality.