Justice is a foundational principle of progressive and equal societies. Despite the vital role that it plays in fueling progress, justice has lacked a universally accepted definition for ages. There are those who prefer to regard this concept through the lens of utilitarian ethics. According to these individuals, that which delivers the greatest gain to a majority of a society’s population can be considered just. Kantian ethics has also served as the foundation of the views that others hold concerning justice. John Rawls (1971) is among the individuals who have attempted to provide clarity and direction on the meaning and importance of justice. In his book, A Theory of Justice, Rawls dismisses other theories and presents social contract as the only valid theoretical framework for conceptualizing justice.
In support of his position that the social contract theory is the most complete and valid model for understanding the concept of justice, Rawls presents a number of arguments. One of these arguments rests on the role that justice plays in society. According to Rawls, justice is intended to ensure harmony and compliance with social norms and rules (Rawls, 1971). The members of a just society agree to be bound by sets of rules designed to safeguard individual liberties while protecting the overall wellbeing of the society. Since the main role of justice is to promote social cohesion, the social contract theory best captures the essence of justice. This theory posits that individuals enter into agreements with their society that is founded on a universally applied set of rules by which all members are required to comply (Rawls, 1971). Rawls’ contention that the social contract theory outperforms such other models as the utilitarian approach in accounting for justice finds further support in his arguments regarding the role that social institutions play. According to Rawls, societies establish institutions which are charged with the mandate of enforcing rules and protecting the rights of members. Furthermore, these institutions define the roles of individual members and establish a code of accepted behavior (Rawls, 1971). Essentially, the function that the social institutions serve help to establish Rawls’ social contract theory as a valid framework. This model recognizes the relationship between individuals and their societies. The social institutions represent this relationship.
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Rawls must have recognized that in order to secure support for his theory, he needed to go beyond merely highlighting how the theory relates to the function of social institutions and the role of justice. This must be why he sought to discredit such other theories as utilitarianism, perfectionism and intuitionism. Rawls asserts that these theories are inadequate and unconvincing because they conflict with the very essence of justice (Rawls, 1971). For example, the utilitarian approach would condone breaching the rights of an individual in order to secure the wellbeing of the larger society. Essentially, this theory suggests that it is right to sacrifice the liberties of a few individuals to protect the larger community. Rawls argues that this is unacceptable since the rights of all individuals matter (Rawls, 1971). The intuitionist approach also suffers drawbacks that limit its appeal. For example, the basic premise of this approach is that in order to determine what is just, one needs to consider and balance various principles. Rawls contends that this premise renders intuitionism weak and unable to fully conceptualize justice. Therefore, the social contract theory remains as the only model that accurately and fully reflects the fundamentals of justice.
It appears that Rawls was persuaded that his social contract theory was the most reliable model. This can be seen in the lengths that he goes to prove the validity and completeness of this theory. According to Rawls, the two main principles of justice lend credibility to his theory. He identifies equal rights as among these principles (Rawls, 1971). Rawls notes that in a just society, all individuals enjoy the same rights that are accorded to others. The second principle that he addresses in his text concerns the distribution of inequalities. He argues that inequalities should be shared equally and that if they confer any advantages, they should do so equally. Equality appears to be the core of Rawls’ argument. He suggests that justice can only be said to have been achieved when all individuals enjoy equal access to opportunities and share the burden on sustaining justice (Rawls, 1971). This is the essence of the social contract theory. As noted earlier, this theory captures the relationship between an individual and their society. While society has a mandate to promote equality, the individual is charged with the obligation of honoring the rights of others and complying with the dictates of society. By focusing on how society and individuals have managed to establish a relationship based on mutual respect and faithful execution of assigned duties, Rawls manages to present his social contract theory as both strong and valid.
Rawls’ text is extensive as it addresses various aspects of justice. Democratic equality, equal access to opportunities, fairness, and natural duties are among the concepts that he relies on to build his theory. While these concepts concern different issues, they combine to strengthen Rawls’ theory. For example, the principle of equal access to opportunities underscores the obligation that society has to ensure that all its members enjoy unhindered access to the resources that they need for advancement. Other issues that Rawls explores at length include tolerance, constitutionalism, and respect for the rule of law (Rawls, 1971). All these issues are key components of a just society. For instance, in a just society, an individual respects the rights of others even when he disagrees with these rights. This is the essence of tolerance and justice. In conclusion, Rawls is successful in pushing for the social contract theory to be recognized as the only reliable account of justice. This theory recognizes the close relationship between an individual and their society and the obligations of each party. While it is imperfect, Rawls’ social contract theory is better than other models as it accurately represents the situation on the ground.
References
Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
