Unveil a hopeful vision for a fairer society.

Many contemporary thinkers highlight the issues afflicting our societies, but few present an inspiring roadmap for improvement. This article offers just that.

Rooted in the groundbreaking ideas of philosopher John Rawls, this passionate call to action blends insights from economics, politics, and philosophy to outline a bold yet practical agenda for transformative change. From radically reforming our democracies to creating a more just and sustainable economy, it encourages you to envision a broader scope of possibilities.

Whether you're an experienced activist or someone longing for a more equitable political system, let this piece inspire you to build a better world.

Theory of Justice

Imagine you're tasked with designing a society from scratch, but there's a catch: you have no idea what position you'll end up in – rich or poor, man or woman, majority or minority. Naturally, you'd aim to design this society as fairly as possible to avoid potentially ending up in a disadvantaged position. But what principles would you use to ensure fairness?

This thought experiment, known as the “original position,” is the cornerstone of philosopher John Rawls's influential theory of justice. Rawls argued that when faced with this scenario, we would agree on two key principles. First, society must protect everyone's fundamental rights and liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to vote. Denying these freedoms to any group, even a minority, is unacceptable. This thought experiment helps people understand this – after all, you have no control over which group you'll belong to.

Second, Rawls contended that some economic inequality may be acceptable if it benefits everyone by providing incentives. However, any other type of inequality is only justified if it benefits the least well-off. Consider this: if you were to end up at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, you'd want a system that maximizes your living standards.

Rawls uses inequality and fairness in broad terms – he doesn't just consider income or wealth, but also political power, self-respect, and access to meaningful work. Thus, a fair society isn't just about redistributing money, but ensuring everyone can develop their talents, have a voice, and engage in fulfilling work.

Fairness also means sustainability. We have an obligation to preserve a healthy environment and sufficient resources for future generations. Prioritizing short-term gains that threaten the future of our children and grandchildren puts them in a disadvantaged position.

In a time of soaring inequality, political polarization, and looming environmental catastrophe, Rawls's theory is more relevant than ever. It challenges us to look beyond our narrow self-interest and design a society that respects everyone's basic dignity and worth. This doesn't mean perfect equality of outcomes, but a world where everyone can accept the social order as fair – the essence of justice.

Freedom

Freedom is the cornerstone of fairness. In a fair society, we should all be free to live according to our beliefs, love who we want, practice our religion, and express ourselves without fear. How close are we to realizing this ideal?

In many ways, citizens in today’s liberal democracies enjoy an unprecedented range of legally protected rights. The principles of free speech, religion, and conscience are widely enshrined. Recent decades have seen significant strides in advancing reproductive rights and equality for LGBTQ+ individuals. Yet these hard-won liberties are increasingly under threat from the rise of intolerant populist movements intent on rolling back the clock.

So, what can we do? To preserve our freedoms, it's time to reframe today’s polarizing “culture war” debates. Instead of treating politics as a battleground for one group to impose its morality on others, we should appeal to the universal value of freedom. By doing so, we could justify rights like religious liberty or same-sex relationships in terms that citizens of all beliefs might accept. We don’t need to assert their moral rightness or naturalness – we just need to affirm each person’s freedom to live as they choose. A conservative Christian and a progressive atheist may never agree on the morality of gay relationships, but they might agree that intimate partnerships are a matter of individual conscience, not collective dictate.

Of course, there are moments when freedoms collide. For instance, should a religious baker have to serve gay customers if it goes against their beliefs? While there are no perfect answers, Rawls provides a framework for resolving such dilemmas. According to him, the liberties that are most vital for living freely and participating in society take precedence. So, we might say that churches are allowed to choose clergy according to their beliefs, but religious people can’t deny service to marginalized groups in public businesses.

These efforts must be coupled with proactive steps to cultivate a culture of mutual tolerance. We don’t need to criminalize hate speech, but we shouldn’t tolerate it either. Public officials should vigorously condemn bigoted views as incompatible with democratic values. Schools should instill open-mindedness and respect for differences from an early age. In this way, we might unite around shared human ideals rather than be divided by sectarian dogma.

In a world of clashing beliefs, what can bring us together is a commitment to the right of all to pursue their own paths. The personal liberties at the heart of justice aren’t just an individual birthright – they’re the foundation of a free society.

Democracy

In many of today’s supposed democracies, wealth determines political influence. Billionaires bankroll the campaigns of politicians who do their bidding. Corporate lobbyists draft laws that benefit their bottom lines. The preferences of the rich shape policy, while the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out.

Studies show that government decisions align far more with the views of the affluent than the average voter. It’s no wonder that trust in the political system is plummeting. But what would it take to make our societies truly democratic – to ensure every citizen has an equal opportunity to participate in and influence the political process?

First, we must transform how we run elections. One step in the right direction is proportional representation, where seats match vote share, ensuring that every ballot counts equally. Maximizing voter turnout is also crucial: we should make registration automatic, extend voting hours, and even consider making participation compulsory. Most importantly, we need to get big money out of politics by capping campaign donations and introducing a system of public “democracy vouchers” that citizens can use to fund the campaign of their choice.

However, democratizing elections alone is not enough. Political equality also means ensuring that voters are well-informed to make the right decisions. Unfortunately, today’s media often serves the interests of the wealthy. To counteract this, we should regulate media ownership to prevent domination by a few billionaire moguls and support factual, trustworthy journalism through public funding.

Lastly, we can harness the power of digital technology to enable citizens to participate in and shape important political debates. Imagine a representative sample of the population convened to discuss and propose solutions on issues like abortion or electoral reform, with their proposals then put to a general vote. Or envision citizens allocating part of the government budget through a participatory process. One city in Brazil is already successfully implementing this model. By combining electoral and direct democracy, we could create a system that’s both egalitarian and responsive to the popular will.

The path to genuine democracy is clear – what’s lacking is the conviction to walk it. We can’t allow our societies to degenerate into oligarchies where a wealthy elite holds the reins of power. Now more than ever, we must reimagine politics, government, and media to give citizens an equal voice in charting our collective path forward. The future of democracy is at stake.

Equal Opportunity

Imagine two children born on the same day in the same country. One is born to wealthy, highly educated parents. The other is born to a poor, single mother living paycheck to paycheck. Fast forward 18 years – which child is likely headed to a top college and a lucrative career? The rich child, obviously. But does that seem fair in a society that claims to believe in equal opportunity?

Studies show that parental income and education remain powerful predictors of children’s life outcomes. Across Western countries, around 40 percent of the economic advantage a rich father has over a poor father is passed on to their children. The playing field is anything but level.

Early childhood is where the seeds of inequality are sown. By age five, children from low-income families are already far behind their affluent peers. Public investments in high-quality preschool education and parenting support services are crucial for narrowing these initial disparities.

Unfortunately, our current education systems often exacerbate rather than correct for children’s unequal starting points. Private schools enable rich families to buy educational advantages. In some countries, like the US, school funding is lower in poorer neighborhoods compared to richer ones. Add in the ever-rising cost of college tuition, and it’s easy to see why low-income students are drastically underrepresented at elite universities.

To equalize opportunities, we should consider bold reforms: What if we banned private schools and increased funding for public ones? Additionally, school funding shouldn’t rely on local property taxes. Low-income students should have broader access to financial aid, and college education should be free for everyone. Essentially, education should compensate for, not reinforce, inequality outside the schoolhouse door.

Class isn’t the only barrier to opportunity – so are race and gender. Even when controlling for income, racial minorities face discrimination in education, employment, and housing. Meanwhile, women continue to earn substantially less than men. Combatting these inequities requires addressing discrimination head-on through enforcement, positive action, and shaping cultural norms. It also means recognizing how class, race, and gender intersect to constrain life chances from the start.

In a just society, your prospects in life shouldn’t be determined by arbitrary factors like the family you’re born into. Creating such a society is both an ethical imperative and a practical necessity for social cohesion. True equality of opportunity remains a distant ideal – but clear steps can bring it closer to reality. The difficult question is, do we have the collective will to take them?

Prosperity

Growing inequality is one of the defining challenges of our time. Those at the bottom work hard but can barely get by, while those at the top accumulate more wealth than they could possibly need. Such inequality is a fundamental injustice.

Economic justice isn’t only about meeting everyone’s basic needs. It’s about ensuring that if there are inequalities, they actually benefit everyone – especially the least well-off. Extreme concentrations of income and wealth are very difficult to justify.

So, what would it take to create a society of truly shared prosperity? First, it means investing in people by providing high-quality education. In a fair society, everyone, not just elites, should be able to develop their talents and realize their potential. It also means implementing strong minimum wage laws and empowering unions to ensure hard work pays off. Furthermore, we must address the intergenerational transmission of advantage that gives children from rich families significantly better outcomes than those from low-income families.

There is an idea of giving every citizen a “universal minimum inheritance” as a birthright. Funded by taxes on very large inheritances, it would guarantee that everyone reaches adulthood with a meaningful stake in society. Alternatively, we could pool society’s wealth into a sovereign fund, paying out dividends to all as a universal basic income.

Underlying this must be a tax system capable of taming great fortunes and generating substantial revenue to invest in public goods. This likely means taxes on the order of 45 to 50 percent of national income – higher than today’s levels in many countries, but not without precedent in some European nations. This doesn’t mean the average office worker should get just half of their paycheck at the end of the month. The bulk of these taxes should fall on corporations, capital income, and large stocks of wealth. With the right policies, we can raise this revenue without sacrificing economic dynamism.

The promise is a society where, even if some earn more than others, everyone has a fair share in our collective wealth. The challenge is summoning the political will to walk the untrodden path. The philosophers have sketched the roadmap – now it’s up to us to take the journey.

This piece tried to outline the blueprint for a fair society based on theory of justice. The thought experiment of designing a society from scratch leads to two key principles: protecting fundamental rights and liberties for all, and ensuring that inequalities benefit everyone, especially the least advantaged.

This may have profound implications for how we should structure our political and economic systems. They call for strengthening democracy by getting money out of politics, empowering citizens through participatory budgeting, and fostering a free and diverse media landscape. On the economic front, we need to implement bold measures like universal basic income, wealth taxes on the super-rich, and employee ownership to create more shared prosperity.

While ambitious, many of these reforms have precedents in various countries. They provide a roadmap for a more just society that respects individual freedom while ensuring everyone can live with dignity.

We hope you enjoyed it. If you can, please take the time to leave us your valuable insights – we always appreciate your feedback. See you soon!