Kristin Mike Olvina Santigo Cassie Carlson Travis Langolf LP5- Ethical Theories Presentation Performance Assessment Task 6 10/27/2009

Summary of Justice or Fairness Approach Focuses on how fairly or unfairly our actions distribute benefits and burdens among the members of a group. Fairness requires consistency in the way people are treated. html html

Summary of Justice or Fairness Approach The principle states: "Treat people the same unless there are morally relevant differences between them." Examples of what is offered as morally justifiable reasons for treating people differently: need, merit, effort, fault, etc.

Justice and Fairness Example:

Who Influenced the Development of Justice and Fairness?

Individual that contributed to the Fairness and Justice approach: John Rawls-Harvard philosopher ( ) developed a conception of justice as fairness in his now classic work A Theory of Justice. He was one of the most important political philosophers in the late 20th century.

Individual that contributed to the Fairness or Justice approach: Rawls proposed the idea of "original position", a mental exercise whereby a group of rational people must establish a principle of fairness (such as distribution of income) without knowing beforehand where on the resulting pecking order they will end up themselves. m m

Individual that influenced the theory: Rawls used this device to argue that the optimal arrangement will be to "maximize the welfare of society's worse-off member", which effectively justifies an egalitarian "no-substitution" social welfare function.

Individual that contributed to the justice and fairness approach: Rawls employs a number of thought experiments— including the famous veil of ignorance—to determine what constitutes a fair agreement in which "everyone is impartially situated as equals," in order to determine principles of social justice. Page 144, Text, Weston

First criticism of Justice and Fairness approach: Robert Norzick Author of Anarchy State and Utopia Construed as a response to Rawl’s “A Theory of Justice” http: enwikipedia.org/wiki/anarchy,_state,_and_utopia

Veil of ignorance Criticize it for being similar to Utilitarianism tro_text/ tro_text/ chapter%208%20ethics/justice_as_fairness.ht m

Current ethical dilemma: “Justice is the first virtue of Institutions” - John Rawls-

2 nd Ethical Dilemma Employer fights to withhold compensation Speeding officer References: Penslar Robinl, Research Ethics: cases and materials. Bloomington:Indiana University Press m

Questions to think about:

Review questions: 1) The Greek philosopher Aristotle said that “equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally.” Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Why?

Review Question 2 2) How would you use Justice and Fairness in your life? Explain?