fifty questions of philosophy - The difference principle

第一段

Main idea : 'just societies are more stable and longer-lasting than unjust ones'

一個正義的社會比一個不正義的社會更穩定持久。

Support idea: 'The members of a society must believe that it is, by and large, fair if they are to abide by the rules that hold it together and to maintain its institutions.'

假設這個社會的法律與制度是公平的，那麼這個社會的成員，無論如何，遵守這個社會的法律和制度，可保障這個社會不至於成為一個零散的部落，也保障這個社會的成員的安全與生活。

所謂的stable society，指的是政治學上追求的理想社會，那是一個沒有戰爭、沒有革命、沒有鬥爭的安定社會。

Relational sentence: 'So how should the burdens and benefits of a society be distributed amongst its members in such a way as to make it just?'

延伸假設的問題是：一個公平的社會法律制度要如何建立？這個問題導出羅爾斯的main point:如何公平地分配權利與義務？

第二段

Main idea: 'only truly fair distribution of society's good is one that is equal across all its members. '

公平地分配社會上的權利與財富就會是對於每個社會成員來說平等的分配。

Support idea: 'Equality can mean different things,...

equality of outcome, such that everyone has an equal share of the wealth and benefits that society has to offer and everyone has to shoulder an equal share of the burdens'

第一種平等的分配方式是齊頭式的平等，無論我們在哪一個起跑點上，最後的結果是每個人都獲得均等的財富與權利。而每個人也都負擔相同的責任與義務。

'So perhaps the important thing is equality of opportunity, such that everyone in society has the same opportunities to prosper, even if some people make more of them than others and accrue more of the benefits in doing so.'

第二種平等的分配方式是機會的平等，無論我們起跑後有什麼可能的發展情形，我們都保障每一個社會成員都有能力和別人一起起跑。即使有些人是天生條件就比較好，能夠累積比別人更多的財富與權利。

Relational sentence: 'But some people's shoulders are broader and stronger than others, and society as a whole may profit from the great efforts that some of its members are able to make. If people are willing to make more efforts, it is not reasonable for them to take a larger share of the benefits?

有些人天生的能力比其他人更好，如果這些人願意付出和他們能力相等的責任與義務，難道我們不應該給他們比別人更多的權利與財富嗎？

第三段

Main idea: 'At the core of his theory lies the so-called 'difference principle', according to which inequalities in society are justified only if they result in its worst off members being better off than they would otherwise have been.'

根據羅爾斯的差異原則，一個正義的社會，指的是那些少數的、弱勢的人有相對的保障 。

第四段

Behind the veil of ignorance 無知之幕

Main sentence: 'We asked to imagine ourselves in what he calls the 'original position', in which all personal interests and allegiances are forgotten: 'no one knows....' Though we might seek to further our own interests, we do not know where our interests lie, so special pleading is ruled out.'

這是羅爾斯的一個思想實驗：現在，我們想像自己進入這個社會之前，我們完全不知道這個社會將是甚麼樣子的社會，也不知道我們自己有什麼能力，不知道自己在這個社會將會是甚麼樣子；因此，我們無法預期自己能有什麼好處，也無法設計出有利於自己的社會制度與法律。

第五段

Main sentence: 'Impartiality, then, in a paradox that is apparent only, is the rational and inevitable choice of self-interested agents in the original position.'

中立的弔詭之處在於，除非我們在原初位置上就不知道自己在正義的社會，否則我們將會做出有利於自己的審慎決定，而那樣的社會並不符合正義與公平。

Support sentence: '... if they were contracted into from behind this imaginary 'veil of ignorance.' Moreover, whatever would be agreed to in such circumstances is the only thing that could be agreed to by individuals acting rationally and prudentially.'

如果我們在無知之幕下定立社會契約，無論即將面對哪一種情況，這樣的社會對個人而言都會符合正義與公平。

第六段

Main sentence: ' the idea that inequalities are acceptable only if they benefit the worst-off - is that under any other circumstances inequalities are unacceptable.'

差異原則只有在保障弱勢的人的情況下，才能被接受。

Support sentence: 'economic arrangements that greatly enhance the position of the better-off but leave the standing of the worst-off uncharged would not count as just.'

經濟學的分配方式只是保障那些比一般更優異條件的人，卻沒有保障那些弱勢的人，這種分配方式不符合正義。

Conclusion: 'In sum, inequality is just only if everyone profits by it; otherwise equality should prevail.'

因此，公平的正義是在所有人都能因此獲得相等的收益，否則公平就只是壓迫少數人的手段罷了。