Justification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Justification - Essay Example As mentioned by Klosko, the principle of fairness is the key to settle all social problems as it solves the existing problems of other political obligation theories, as well as resolves social conflicts diplomatically through justice (The Principle of Fairness 33). The principle of fairness was first introduced in the works of Hart in 1955, who suggested that fairness is determined by the extent to which two or more parties, both agreeing to restrict their rights, participate in and benefit from a common venture (Klosko, â€Å"The Principle of Fairness† 33). This definition implies that the principle of fairness entails both equality and restriction of rights. On the other hand, Rawls’ theory, which contains similar concepts with Hart’s, posits that such mutual cooperation is governed by rules that restrict all participating parties and that justice is needed to implement such rules (Rawls 10-12). Rawls’ ideas on the principle of fairness also come along with the principles of justice because, in his definition, justice is the key in implementing the rules that govern all mutually advantageous collaborations. With Hart and Rawls’ definitions, it can be said that the main idea of the principle of fairness is mutual cooperation and conformity to rules. Thus, to sum up the two definitions, Klosko proposes that there are five fundamental elements that govern the principles of fairness: 1) cooperative scheme, 2) rules governing the cooperative scheme, 3) restrictions, 4) distinctions between cooperators and non-cooperators, and 5) benefits of the non-cooperators (The Principle of Fairness 34). The cooperative scheme refers to the mutually beneficial ventures of which the participating parties share both the burdens and benefits of such ventures. The governing rules refer to the sacrifices that all participating parties must make in order to yield the desired benefits of the