Best Quotes by John Rawls (Top 10)

  1. The natural distribution is neither just nor unjust; nor is it unjust that persons are born into society at some particular position. These are simply natural facts. What is just and unjust is the way that institutions deal with these facts.
  2. The bad man desires arbitrary power. What moves the evil man is the love of injustice.
  3. Many of our most serious conflicts are conflicts within ourselves. Those who suppose their judgements are always consistent are unreflective or dogmatic.
  4. The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance.
  5. The sense of justice is continuous with the love of mankind.
  6. Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought. A theory however elegant and economical must be rejected or revised if it is untrue; likewise laws and institutions no matter how efficient and well-arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust.
  7. In constant pursuit of money to finance campaigns, the political system is simply unable to function. Its deliberative powers are paralyzed.
  8. [E]ach person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others.
  9. Ideally citizens are to think of themselves as if they were legislators and ask themselves what statutes, supported by what reasons satisfying the criterion of reciprocity, they would think is most reasonable to enact.
  10. It is of first importance that the military be subordinate to civilian government