The primary subject-matter of a theory of justice, and thus of justice as fairness, is the basic structure of society, understood in connection with its role in organizing social cooperation.
By John Rawls, from A Theory of Justice
Key Arguments
- Rawls announces that he will begin "by describing the role of justice in social cooperation," which signals that justice is to be analyzed in the context of cooperative social schemes rather than isolated individual actions.
- He couples this with "a brief account of the primary subject of justice, the basic structure of society," indicating that the main focus of his theory is not particular transactions but the overarching institutional framework that shapes them.
Source Quotes
Unavoidably there is some overlap between this and later discussions. I begin by describing the role of justice in social cooperation and with a brief account of the primary subject of justice, the basic structure of society. I then present the main idea of justice as fairness, a theory of justice that generalizes and carries to a higher level of abstraction the traditional conception of the social contract.
Key Concepts
- I begin by describing the role of justice in social cooperation and with a brief account of the primary subject of justice, the basic structure of society.
Context
Introductory roadmap in Chapter I, where Rawls signals that justice will be theorized primarily at the level of the basic institutional framework governing social cooperation.