John Rawls' Veil of Ignorance is one of the most famous thought experiments in modern political philosophy. It serves as a conceptual tool to help us determine what constitutes a fair and just society. By stripping away our knowledge of our own personal circumstances, the veil prevents us from tailoring social principles to our own unique advantages.
The Setup of the Thought Experiment
Imagine a group of rational individuals gathered to negotiate the contract that will govern their future society. This scenario is what Rawls calls the "Original Position." To ensure that the negotiation is completely fair, Rawls places these individuals behind a metaphorical "Veil of Ignorance." Behind this veil, you are deprived of all specific information about yourself. You do not know your social class, wealth, or income. You do not know your gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. You are unaware of your physical health, mental capacity, natural talents, or personality traits. You also do not know your specific conception of the "good life"—whether you are deeply religious, an atheist, an artist, or an entrepreneur.
However, you do retain general knowledge. You understand that human beings have physical and emotional needs, that resources are limited, and that society is subject to political and economic laws. You are rational and mutually disinterested, meaning you want to secure the best possible outcome for yourself but do not harbor malice or benevolence toward others during the negotiation.
Why the Veil of Ignorance Works
The primary purpose of the Veil of Ignorance is to eliminate bias. In the real world, our views on justice are heavily influenced by our current standing. A wealthy person might view high taxes as unjust, while a poor person might view the lack of public services as unjust. By placing negotiators behind the veil, Rawls aligns self-interest with justice. Because you do not know who you will be in society, you must consider the perspective of every possible person. If you decide that a society should have an underclass of low-wage workers with no rights, you run the risk of waking up as one of those workers once the veil is lifted. To protect yourself from the worst-case scenario, you are forced to design a society that treats everyone fairly.
The Maximin Rule
Rawls argues that rational actors behind the Veil of Ignorance would employ a decision-making strategy known as the "maximin" rule. This rule dictates that when faced with uncertainty, one should choose the option that maximizes the minimum possible outcome. In other words, you design society to make the worst-case scenario as tolerable as possible. Instead of gambling on a highly unequal society where the rich are incredibly wealthy but the poor starve, you choose a society where even the poorest citizens have access to basic rights, opportunities, and resources.
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Join NowCriticisms of the Thought Experiment
While highly influential, the Veil of Ignorance has faced criticism. Communitarian philosophers, such as Michael Sandel, argue that it is impossible to separate human beings from their identities, histories, and communities. They contend that a person stripped of all personal characteristics is a "disembodied self" incapable of making meaningful moral choices. Other critics argue that the maximin strategy is overly risk-averse, asserting that some rational people might prefer to gamble on a less equal society if the potential rewards are high enough. Despite these critiques, the Veil of Ignorance remains a foundational tool for analyzing systemic fairness and social justice.