American Political Philosopher (21/2/1921 – 24/11/2002)

A Theory of Justice (1971)

The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance.

To each according to his threat advantage does not count as a principle of justice.

One who lacks a sense of justice lacks certain fundamental attitudes and capacities included under the notion of humanity. Now the moral feelings are admittedly unpleasant, in some extended sense of unpleasant; but there is no way for us to avoid a liability to them without disfiguring ourselves. This liability is the price of love and trust, of friendship and affection, and of devotion to institutions and traditions from which we have benefited and which serve the general interests of mankind…by understanding what it would be like not to have a sense of justice–that it would be to lack part of our humanity too–we are led to accept our having this sense.

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