Abstract:

“What is justice?” It is one of the oldest, complex and difficult questions that humanity has tried to answer. Until today, in the history of philosophy, the nature of justice has been tried to be explained in various ways. John Rawls, the most prominent and important destination in political philosophy, also described justice as the first virtue of social institutions in his work A Theory of Justice. In the context of social justice, he presented his theory, which is called justice as fairness. For Rawls, The basic structure, consisting of political and social institutions, is in a decisive position on people's lives and possibilities. In that case, the formation of a just society will be possible by arranging this structure within the framework of a fair procedure. Undoubtedly, there will be certain rules in the construction process. From this point of view, Rawls explains the selection process of the principles of justice by making use of contract theory and Kant's views. Unlike other members of the tradition, the contract is not associated with the transition to society, but with the negotiation and selection of the principles of justice. He envisions a hypothetical, abstract, original situation where there is no danger in terms of rights and freedoms. The parties who will choose the principles of justice in the original situation are under the veil of ignorance. With the veil, they are deprived of information about themselves and others, such as their gender, social status, religious beliefs, conceptions of good, natural abilities, etc. In this way, impartiality and equality will be ensured, and no one will be able to choose what is advantageous for herself and favor anyone. Parties that are equal, free, rational,capacity for a sense of justice and a conception of good will eventually reach the two principles of justice. According to these principles, first of all, in a just society, all citizens must have equal basic liberties. People with similar skills, regardless of race, ethnicity or gender etc., must have equal opportunities in the distribution of duties and positions. In addition, the gains from natural talents, which are random, will be acceptable only if they benefit the disadvantaged. In this study, the conditions for the formation of a just society, the limitations of the veil of ignorance, the problems created by the idea of the person and the difference principle will be discussed by expressing the basis of Rawls's understanding in the context of rights and freedoms.

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