2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

Ayn Rand’s Objectivism and John Rawls’ Theory of Justice

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John Rawls and the Theory of Justice

Rawls argues for the creation of a logical and reasoned theory of social justice. Rawls

attempts this through utilizing the established philosophical concepts of Kant’s

categorical imperative, Locke’s social contract and the enlightenments of Bentham and

Mill on utilitarianism. Using this method, Rawls creates two principles of Justice. In his

book, A Theory of Justice. Rawls elucidates on the principles of justice:

First: each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others.”

Second: social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are (a) reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage and (b) attached to positions and offices open to all… 13

Rawls provides a basis for a just society through his two principles. These principles

were conceived to act as a moral guide to allocate fundamental normative rights and to

objectively limit inequality. The first principle (known as The Greatest Equal Liberty

Principle), deals with an individual’s right to basic universal liberties. Rawls discerns

that political liberty is a citizen’s basic right. Political liberty entails the protection of a

citizen’s right to freedom of speech, thought and assembly, liberty of conscience, right

to own personal property and the upholding of the rule of law. Rawls states that these

universal liberties must all be equal in application for each citizen. Rawls also implies

that the aforementioned rights are inalienable unless the amendment is beneficial to

all. 814

13 Rawls, J., 1971. Theory of Justice. 1st Edition ed. Cambridge: Bellknap. 14 Rawls, J., 1971. Theory of Justice. 1st Edition ed. Cambridge: Bellknap.

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