Contractarianism
Chantal Ortiz
Philosophy 1320
March 06, 2013
Contractarianism Before I begin my reasoning I would like you to disregard any prior political views and just keep an open mind. I would like you to imagine growing up in a family of six, your father left your mother when you were four. She has absolutely no college background and dropped out of high school when she was sixteen, as for your father he is addicted to heroin, crack, a variety of prescription pills and has spent more than half of his most current years in the slammer. I know that this is a bit extreme, but please bear with me; it is clear that your parents did not make the brightest decisions throughout life, but for you this only inspires you to follow an extremely different track and be the complete opposite of what they were. But, why shouldn’t you have the same start just as equal as the person sitting next to you in class who is making the same flawless grade as you who is well of and has had everything handed to them? This brings me to Rawls’s theory on Contractarianism. According to our text book Contemporary Moral Arguments written by Lewis Vaughn in the broadest sense Contractarianism is a moral theory that is based on agreement that gives everyone a mutual advantage in the most original position. Rawls’s further stresses that in order for everyone to be ensured fair and unbiased choices everyone’s original position must be fair and unbiased. So how exactly would we go about doing this? It’s quite simple, we gather a group of normal, self-interested, rational individuals to come together to choose the principles that will determine their basic rights and duties and their share of society’s benefits and burdens. But, just as in the US there is a constant and inevitable social class make up, so how would we go about this without discrimination or to become bias on impact or even subconsciously? This can only be accomplished under the “veil of ignorance”. Behind the veil no one
Philosophy 1320
March 06, 2013
Contractarianism Before I begin my reasoning I would like you to disregard any prior political views and just keep an open mind. I would like you to imagine growing up in a family of six, your father left your mother when you were four. She has absolutely no college background and dropped out of high school when she was sixteen, as for your father he is addicted to heroin, crack, a variety of prescription pills and has spent more than half of his most current years in the slammer. I know that this is a bit extreme, but please bear with me; it is clear that your parents did not make the brightest decisions throughout life, but for you this only inspires you to follow an extremely different track and be the complete opposite of what they were. But, why shouldn’t you have the same start just as equal as the person sitting next to you in class who is making the same flawless grade as you who is well of and has had everything handed to them? This brings me to Rawls’s theory on Contractarianism. According to our text book Contemporary Moral Arguments written by Lewis Vaughn in the broadest sense Contractarianism is a moral theory that is based on agreement that gives everyone a mutual advantage in the most original position. Rawls’s further stresses that in order for everyone to be ensured fair and unbiased choices everyone’s original position must be fair and unbiased. So how exactly would we go about doing this? It’s quite simple, we gather a group of normal, self-interested, rational individuals to come together to choose the principles that will determine their basic rights and duties and their share of society’s benefits and burdens. But, just as in the US there is a constant and inevitable social class make up, so how would we go about this without discrimination or to become bias on impact or even subconsciously? This can only be accomplished under the “veil of ignorance”. Behind the veil no one