Immediately, I remembered the“ original position”, a concept developed by Rawls. This idea is centered on a society where people are unaware of their own social status and personal advantages. Rawls highlights that, under these circumstances and being free from bias, people would make sure to create fair and just rules for society.
However, I quickly realized that this isn’ t the reality of our current world. This ship was a representation of the imbalance between the idea of fairness and the reality of inequality in the world, even if the inequality isn’ t visible from the jump. The veil of ignorance explains that people, without knowledge of their advantages, would create fair structures, but the current world of today demonstrates the complexity that comes alongside separating people from their circumstances. Whether we identify them or not, social and economic inequalities are constantly present, shaping the lives, opportunities, and outcomes of people. For Rawls’ s theory to be accurate, the ideal society should consider these inequalities, but this remains a difficult task. The ship itself is a metaphor for society that represents this tension: while our final destination is the same, our distinct starting points impact our experience.
The days went on as we sailed deeper into the unknown. I couldn’ t stop thinking about Rawls’ idea of responsibility and justice. If it’ s true that our lives are determined by things out of our control, then how are we fully responsible for what happens to us? Rawls emphasizes that we will genuinely choose fair rules only if we don’ t know our position in society. The reality, however, includes factors that we cannot control. Many people’ s abilities to change their lives are limited due to certain hardships. Society, however, still blames people for their choices without considering the constraints they faced.
22 | Travesía • revista estudiantil