What is Rawls’s attitude toward the least advantaged people in society?
Rawls is very clear when stating his views upon the government that should help all levels of society. Less advantaged people should have the same rights and abilities as everyone. “Thus we are to imagine those who engage in social cooperation choose together, in one joint act, the principles which are to assign basic rights and duties and to determine the division of social benefits” (Rawls 199). Benefits should be spread among everyone, because you are only as strong as your weakest link and when people work together for a common purpose things will form the way they should. “Just as each person must decide by rational reflection what constitutes his good, that is, the system of ends which it is rational for him to pursue, so a group of persons must decide once and for all what is to count among them as just and unjust”. (Rawls199) Everyone must decide what is just as opposed to what is unjust but it must be done together for it to work, because every level of society will have different views to bring. Rawls also states that the problem of the choice of principles, however, is extremely difficult. (202) It is hard for people to humble themselves to help everyone for one common purpose, because it is our nature to look out for ourselves as individuals and for only our families. “ We must recognize the limited scope of justice as fairness and of the general type of view that it exemplifies”. (Rawls204).
Works Cited
Thoreau, Henry David. "Civil Disobedience." A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Trans. Stephen Mitchell. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2006. pp133-158.
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You explained Rawls point of view about the people and justice. People do need to speak up for their rights because livng in this country as an individual it is extremely important to do so.
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