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IB Philosophy Essay: Justice (22/25)
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- IB political philosophy essay on justice - Band 7 essay (22/25) - Essay is structured with subtitles and bullet points
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JUSTICEIntroduction
Question
The prescribed question concerns the issue surrounding general justice, to the basis on which it is
just for the state to intervene in the free market and redistribute goods of benefit to other
populations in order to create further equality.
Distributive Justice
It concerns the issues of distributive justice, the fair distribution of society’s benefits amongst the
members of the population. In the Liberalist - demonstrated society of today’s political culture, two
competing views have arisen:
Philosophies
Classical Liberalism, arguing for a limited government that stays out of the free market and sees no
legitimacy in the government intervening to redistribute. And welfare Liberalism, arguing for a
government that redistributes goods amongst the population to make up for the harms of the free
market, seeing legitimacy for government intervention in order to further the disadvantaged
population.
Philosophers
Two of the most important figures in the issue are John Rawls – who advocates Welfare Liberalism
and Robert Nozick who is a Classical Liberal.
Evaluation
This essay will argue entirely in favour of Rawls’ theories of justice, finding legitimacy in
government intervention on the basis that it support the least advantaged.
Rawls
About Rawls
Rawls was a statistician and, in the 1960’s and 70s, he recognised the inherent faults of American
policy through the direct economic marginalisation that existed.
He knew that the ‘rages-to-rides’ stories were overall so negligible, so as not to warrant any political
theory.
In fact, he believed the notions surrounding the American Dream were encouraged as a political
manipulation by politicians in order that they avoided the economic inconveniences of
redistribution.
The Veil of Ignorance
So, Rawls developed his theory of justice as fairness. It begins with a thought experiment known as
the ‘veil of ignorance’.
We are to imagine ourselves in a conscious state before we are born; we have no knowledge of the
society, family, or culture we will be born into.
Further, we have no knowledge of our own sexual orientation, gender, or beliefs. In such as
circumstance, what society would you want to enter into?
Rawls felt behind this ‘veil of ignorance’ was the key to the government that could intervene to
favour the disadvantaged, when no one knows their future predicament, they would not place
advantages to any specific groups.
Three Key Principles
In this circumstance, Rawls develops three central principles he believe are most rational to choose:
1. First, the Equal Liberty principle; recognises no political difference between individuals. We are
all equally free to have the same political rights of liberty, voting and constitutional recognition.
2. Second, the Equal Opportunity Principle: recognises that desirable jobs must be selected based
on the achievements of an individual rather than race, gender, or patriarchal power. This
principle also places a responsibility on the state to establish public school and universities at
little or no charge for the population. In this way, irrespective of class or economic advantage,
you have an equal opportunity to compete for jobs.
3. Finally, the Difference principle: recognises and concedes the meritability and necessity for
economic equality, as it is integral for work incentive. However, such inequality is only just if and
only if the plight of the disadvantaged is relieved. States must redistribute the benefits through
welfare programs for the least advantaged.
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