Justice as Fairness: Rawls proposes a theory of justice that he calls "justice as fairness." This theory is inspired by the traditional social contract theory, but it moves beyond a literal agreement to enter a specific society. Instead, it focuses on the principles that free and rational people would agree to in an initial situation of equality – the "original position." These principles would then define the basic structure of a just society.
The Two Principles of Justice: Rawls argues that people in the original position would choose two key principles to govern their society:
The Priority of Liberty: Rawls emphasizes that the First Principle (equal basic liberties) takes precedence over the Second Principle (social and economic inequalities). This means that limitations on basic liberties cannot be justified by greater economic or social advantages. In essence, the principles are ordered lexically, with liberty holding a higher priority. Liberties can only be restricted for the sake of preserving other liberties, and any restriction on liberty must be acceptable to those affected by it.