Introduction
Human nature implies taking advantage of all situations and often ignoring the well-being of others for the sake of happiness. One of the most critical issues in this context is the search for possible methods and tools that would create a just society where each individual’s life would be valuable. In his book, A Theory of Justice, philosopher John Rawls describes one possible method for achieving this goal: the concept of the original position. However, the features of the society described in the essay that will be a basis for the argument lie in the different evaluations of Rawls’s principles of a just society for all people.
As an argument for the essay, it should be stressed that without integration in society, one cannot create a justifiable and fair world because of the unawareness of its profound problems and nuances. The opportunity to construct a just society is not when a person looks at it from above, hiding behind the veil of ignorance, but when they place themself in the center of events, in the position of profound consideration of the problems and pain of people.
The Rawls’s Original Position
John Rawls, called the Original Position, implies particular human behavior to create a just society. In particular, the metaphorical meaning of changes in human consciousness is described in theory as hiding behind the veil of ignorance (Forrester 1). Noteworthy, this process involves the renunciation of specific personal demands and benefits expected of society for the individual and a view of creating justice among human beings without being part of that society.
According to Forrester, “Once behind the veil, they agree how a just society would be structured without letting these contingent facts get in the way of their choices” (1). Consequently, Rawls suggests that this approach would eliminate various people’s prejudices about the possible benefits of constructing a fair and just society. Moreover, such rules would apply to everyone and consider all needs.
A Key Feature of Society That Will Be Advocated Differently
The key feature of society that one will advocate differently from Rawls’s principles of creating a fair society will be the complexity and existence of various hidden aspects, which cannot be assessed behind the veil of ignorance. As mentioned above, Rawls’ concept of creating a just society involves avoiding different stereotypes in one’s thinking, primarily aimed at benefiting oneself (Forrester 1). Without eliminating this component, every person seeking to create a just society, on the subconscious level, will look for a profitable place in it for himself (Forrester 2). Hence, the original intentions of the person, as well as the final concept of society, will change under the pressure of one’s desires and intentions.
To account for the complexity and societal needs that describe the chosen key features of society, one should advocate that it is not just different from the Rawls principles of the original position. Conversely, the person should not hide behind the veil of ignorance but act as much closer to society as possible. Moreover, the changes in human consciousness aimed at eliminating prejudice and the willingness to obtain benefits should occur naturally. At the same time, the person is part of the society, but not when they abandoned it (Forrester 2). Otherwise, the person will not be able to design a just world by alienating people and taking the position of a non-living mechanism that assesses the situation from above and is not part of that society.
The Evidence for the Argument
Necessary evidence supporting the essay’s argument will be numerous examples from history and current events, where many politicians or mayors held the observer’s position. Drawing a parallel with the concept of Rawls, they hid behind the veil of ignorance. Examples include leaders such as Muammar al-Gaddafi, who ruled in Libya, or Russian Emperor Nicholas II. Both rulers were isolated in their estates or palaces, alienated from the troubles and worries of the ordinary people (Laessing 4).
Consequently, they failed due to their unawareness of what was happening (Laessing 4). These cases are illustrative because it is undeniable that, despite such behavior, these leaders have not sought to create a better and more just society in their countries. However, they did not understand their people by hiding behind the metaphorical veil of ignorance. Therefore, it is essential to emphasize that different advocations of a chosen key feature of society compared with Rawls’s principles are based on a change in human consciousness, not in the original position but in the most straightforward position possible. It assumes significant immersion into people’s problems to create an authentic, fair, and just society.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is essential to emphasize that Rawls’ theory is one of many attempts to create a better and more just world order. However, the argument underlying this essay and examples from human history determine that a particular feature of many people can be advocated differently. In particular, as the feature for this argument, the complexity and multi-layered characteristics of society were chosen. Hiding behind the veil of ignorance, the primary metaphor of the Original Position, one cannot understand these problems and the complexity of various society’s nuances. Consequently, they will fail to assess people’s needs, and their attempts to create a fair society will not be successful.
Works Cited
Forrester, Katrina. In the Shadow of Justice: Postwar Liberalism and the Remaking of Political Philosophy. Princeton University Press, 2021.
Laessing, Ulf. Understanding Libya Since Gaddafi. Hurst, 2020.