veil of ignorance
E91451
concept in political philosophy
epistemic device
method of moral reasoning
philosophical thought experiment
The veil of ignorance is a philosophical thought experiment that asks people to design a just society without knowing their own position within it, ensuring fairness and impartiality in the principles they choose.
Statements (51)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
concept in political philosophy
→
epistemic device → method of moral reasoning → philosophical thought experiment → |
| aimsAt |
equality of consideration
→
fairness → impartiality → |
| appliedIn |
bioethics
→
business ethics → discussions of distributive justice → global justice debates → public policy evaluation → |
| associatedWith |
justice as fairness
→
original position → |
| assumes |
risk aversion of choosers
→
|
| contrastedWith |
utilitarian aggregation without constraints
→
|
| coreIdea |
decision makers lack knowledge of their own conception of the good
→
decision makers lack knowledge of their own natural talents → decision makers lack knowledge of their own social position → principles are chosen without knowledge of personal advantages or disadvantages → |
| critiquedBy |
communitarian theorists
→
feminist philosophers → libertarian theorists → |
| describedIn |
A Theory of Justice
→
|
| developedBy |
John Rawls
→
|
| epistemicRestriction |
ignorance of class
→
ignorance of gender → ignorance of race → ignorance of social status → ignorance of wealth → |
| field |
ethics
→
moral philosophy → political philosophy → social contract theory → |
| influencedBy |
Immanuel Kant's moral philosophy
→
social contract tradition → |
| involves |
hypothetical choice situation
→
mutual disinterest of agents → rational agents → |
| publicationYear |
1971
→
|
| purpose |
to derive principles of justice
→
to ensure fairness in social arrangements → to model impartiality in moral judgment → |
| relatedConcept |
contractualism
→
impartial spectator → maximin rule → |
| supports |
Rawls's first principle of justice
→
Rawls's second principle of justice → difference principle → priority of basic liberties → |
| usedIn |
Rawlsian original position
→
|
Referenced by (3)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
A Theory of Justice
→
|
mainConcept |
|
John Rawls
→
|
notableIdea |
|
Justice as Fairness: A Restatement
→
|
subject |