John Rawls is currently a professor at Harvard University. He is considered to be one of the greatest living philosophers, primarily because of the influence of his masterpiece, A Theory of Justice (1971). In this book, Rawls argues against utilitarianism and for his conception of the foundation for a just society. He defines justice as fairness. Then he forms a concept of individuals as members of a community for which they are responsible. The community (or society) has obligations for the less fortunate members, to the extent that their needs can be met without undermining the entire community. This includes a strong belief in the value of freedom as right and responsibility.
“Fairness” involves more than equality for Rawls. It includes consistency, a lack of hypocrisy, never treating a person as a mere means to an end, and following through on one’s duties and responsibilities. He believes that we have a duty to help those less fortunate because much of our success was based on luck. Our initial circumstances are not fair and to a certain extent, we benefit from those less fortunate. So, it is only fair to reciprocate.
Original Position - Rawls uses this idea to help us figure out what principles should be adopted by a just society. Imagine you are in a state prior to your current existence. You don’t know what your position in society will be like, what natural talents you may have or lack, etc. In that situation, what principles would you adopt for the governance of society? This imaginary situation prior to personal knowledge or experience is the original position.
Rawls says that people in the original position are under a veil of ignorance. Under the veil of ignorance a person does not know anything about his/her self that is not determined by the social contract (set of principles for governing the society). This includes class, status, talents, health, intelligence, desires, aversions, etc.
Under this veil of ignorance, Rawls believes that people would choose a social system that would be designed to protect and promote freedom for all. But, unlike libertarians, Rawls does not believe that this amounts to pure individual freedom. People live in a society. Therefore, society must be designed to maximize the minimum level of anyone in society (maximin rule). Furthermore, all inequalities in society must be justified by benefit to the least advantaged in society and are connected to jobs and positions that are open to and attainable by all.
Your reading is an excerpt from a more recent work which attempts to address some of the criticisms of the plan laid out in A Theory of Justice.
Rawls, J. A Theory of Justice, Harvard University Press (Cambridge, MA: 1971).