Rawls and the Veil of Ignorance
John Rawls' theory of justice is one of the most powerful tools in LD — learn how to deploy the original position and the difference principle.
The Most Cited Philosopher in LD
John Rawls' 'A Theory of Justice' (1971) is probably the single most referenced philosophical work in competitive Lincoln-Douglas debate. His ideas appear on both sides of nearly every topic that involves justice, fairness, equality, or institutional design — which is to say, almost every LD topic.
Rawls asks a deceptively simple question: what principles of justice would rational people choose if they didn't know their own place in society? He calls this thought experiment the 'original position' — a hypothetical situation where people select the rules of their society from behind a 'veil of ignorance' that prevents them from knowing their race, gender, wealth, talents, or conception of the good life.
Rawls argues that rational agents behind the veil would choose two principles. First, each person has an equal right to the most extensive system of basic liberties compatible with a similar system for everyone. Second, social and economic inequalities are permissible only if they benefit the least advantaged members of society (the difference principle) and are attached to positions open to all under fair equality of opportunity.
