veil of ignorance

(1971)

Element in the theory of justice of American political theorist John Rawls (1921-2002).

Conditions for just social life can be sketched if people are imagined in an 'original position' where they decide upon social rules whilst behind a 'veil of ignorance' which prevents their knowing anything about their own situation in the hypothesized society.

Source:
David Miller et al., eds, The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought (Oxford, 1987)



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