Chapter 02 of 5
The Maximin Rule
Explore the logic of choosing the best of the worst-case scenarios.
- The Strategy
Choosing the Floor
Behind the Veil, you don't know your rank. Logic dictates you focus on the 'worst-case scenario' rather than the best.
- Logic
Defining Maximin
The term is a shorthand for 'maximize the minimum.' It means ensuring the lowest possible position in society is as high as possible.
- Game Theory
Rational Self-Interest
Rawls argues that a rational person wouldn't gamble with their life. You wouldn't risk being a slave for a 1% chance of being a king.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
According to the Maximin Rule, how should one compare two different social structures?
⚖️ Rawls’s Veil: The Thought Experiment for Justice
- 01The Original PositionStep behind the Veil to design a society without knowing your own identity.
- 02The Maximin RuleExplore the logic of choosing the best of the worst-case scenarios.
- 03The Liberty PrincipleWhy basic rights must come before any economic or social advantage.
- 04The Difference PrincipleWhen is inequality actually 'just'? The criteria for fair disadvantage.
- 05The Justice AuditApply the Veil of Ignorance to critique and redesign real-world policies.