Political Philosophy: A Comparison of Rawls and Nozick's Theories

This essay provides a comparative analysis of the theories of justice proposed by John Rawls and Robert Nozick. The essay begins by outlining Rawls's concept of distributive justice, emphasizing his work on bringing together the ideas of egalitarianism and libertarianism, and his principle of the 'veil of ignorance' to establish fair principles for society. It then explores Nozick's entitlement theory, which focuses on acquisition, transfer, and rectification of injustice, and his critique of Rawls, particularly regarding the government's role in redistribution and its impact on individual liberty. The essay contrasts their views on individual rights, the role of government, and the concept of an equal society, concluding with a personal opinion on the applicability of their theories in contemporary society. The essay also includes references to relevant literature supporting the arguments presented.

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The regulation of the goods and trade in Canada maintains a liberal trade rules and
there are very few restriction imposed on the foreign exchange of the goods. However the
product imports are generally controlled by Imports and Export Permit Act. Different
products like medicines, items, endangered species, firearms and even automobile vehicles
falls under the government inspection regulation. According to the Section 91(2),
Constitution Act 1867, the Parliament of Canada have full rights to regulate and authorize the
distribution of goods and trades in Canada (Culp, 2016). The governing principle of
distribution system states all the imported edible materials have to meet the standard of Foods
and Drugs Act in Canada and each have to maintain the equal quality standards.
The point of view on the foremost researcher considered is of John Rawls on the
fundamental items essential for every individual was written in a book called A Theory of
Justice in 1971 (Selden, 2016). According to him the fundamental items can be subdivided in
the going with classes. The beginning one is the normal fundamental stock which
consolidates inventive capacity, prosperity, information, speed, etc. The second on is the
social basic items which fuses the rights, both the social freedoms similarly as political rights,
pay, opportunities and wealth (pp. 237). In his second arrival of Theory of Justice he ensured
the ordinary basic stock are the principal essentials that the locals of an overall population
necessities for their central survival. In an article that was conveyed in 1985 he portrayed the
term value and illuminated value includes two major things that is opportunity and parity. As
indicated by his first standard every individual has got perfect to their central opportunities,
for instance, singular property, home and other individual belongings. The organization has
no benefit to intervene or remove these fundamental rights from the all-inclusive community.
The second or the consistency rule explains the need of equalization in an overall population
to flourish. As shown by him the work environments and business should be open for all the
individual paying little mind to their sex, Social establishment or ethnicity. He had reliably
been raising his voice and showing up for all of the overall public and they should have their
central comforts while staying in the overall population. Hughes & Sharrock (2016)
communicated giving proportionate opportunities to the all-inclusive community will give
more degree to the denied class to work all the more eagerly and develop themselves in the
overall population. This in assurance with time will host the whole social stature and a
particular get-together of people just as the whole society will probably welcome the solaces.
This discuss the considerations of Robert Nozick and will in like manner talk about how the
contemplations differentiate from that of Rawls. The Entitlement Theory proposed by Nozick
has got three essential norms and they are discussed in the going with core interests: The

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standard of value in verifying this standard on a very basic level deals with the acquisitions
and individual things (Stewart, 1996). This rule accounts how an individual at first
transformed into an owner of a trademark had property or what sorts of things can be held
and some others. The principle of standard value in return illuminates how a property can be
picked up from another with the help of exchange of money or stock (pp. 240). The principle
of alteration of unfairness standard courses of action with the assets that has been picked up
by uncalled for strategies and a short time later traded. It moreover discusses how the
disastrous setbacks can be changed and how to deal with the foul play that is being
committed by the organization.
John Rawls was a political theorist who has considerably contributed to distributive
justice. The most significant work of Rawls was “A Theory of Justice” where he worked on
bringing together the political ideas of egalitarianism and libertarianism. Egalitarianism
insisted that wealth is to be redistributed and libertarianism advocates that such redistribution
will result in attack on individual freedoms. Rawls theory about distributive justice tries to
solve the division between the two ideals by mostly fulfilling the demand of libertarians that
is respecting personal freedom along with fulfilling the demand of equality in redistribution
of economy by the egalitarians (Giroux, 2018). This theory by Rawl is a hybrid one that that
tries to bring together two institutions regarding justice that are considered to be conflicting.
This theory by Rawls is notable because he has grounded it on political philosophy tradition
of social contract. He chooses his principles through individual however, that individual
should be covered with a 'veil of ignorance’. Rawl states that to be able to find what the basic
principles of society is, every individual in it needs to think that they don't know anything
about their amount of personal wealth or talent or social class. With the help of this ignorance
individuals are capable of producing the general and fair principles regarding how the society
is to run (pp. 238). He argues that only when individuals know nothing regarding their
position in the society they become concerned about the equality for all. He says that we must
be concerned for the least fortune members of society. Because, to change the society one
must ensure the betterment of the people in the lower strata. The practicality of Rawls's
theory makes it unique and appealing. The individual here has the choice of producing fair
and unbiased principles of justice. These principles will serve as the foundation for the
structure of a just society. In his theory Rawl gives a pure objective way to make moral
decisions avoiding the various problems of utilitarian system.
Robert Nozick was one of the critics of John Rawl. In the 1970s he gave a critical
reply for Rawl's theory in Nozick's book named 'Anarchy, State and Utopia’. He states that

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the views of Rawl about liberty and difference principle are contradictory to each other.
Nozick argued that when a government forcibly taxes the rich and redistributes the wealth
among the poor it directly violates the liberty of rich people. The government cannot infringe
on its citizen's rights by giving their money to others especially, when that money is earned
by the individuals though either talent or hard work (Wagner, 2018). He believes it is the
decision an individual should make, if he wants to help the less fortunate rather than being
forced by the state. He advocates that when the government applies taxes on services and
goods it is a way of stealing from the individual. Thus, the state should be minimal that is, it
should work on protecting individual rights. Nozick followed Locke stating that minimal
state gives its citizens the right to property, liberty and life. Additionally, the government
should protect these individuals against violation of the rights. He strongly advocated
individual liberty without much interference from the government of the state.
In my opinion, the views of John Rawl is more appealing for redistribution. This will
help the less fortunate and give them an opportunity to have a better life. However, his view
of an equal society is not possible to execute in the contemporary society with vast
differences within economic statuses of individuals. This is why it is important to not make
this redistribution absolute but, case sensitive by judging who will have to pay the taxes and
what amount it is to be paid.

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References
Culp, J. (2016). Critical remarks on Simon Caney's humanity-centered approach to global
justice. ethic@-An international Journal for Moral Philosophy, 15(1), 50-64.
Giroux, H. (2018). Pedagogy and the politics of hope: Theory, culture, and schooling: A
critical reader. Routledge.
Hughes, J. A., & Sharrock, W. W. (2016). The philosophy of social research. Routledge.
Selden, R., (2016). Practising theory and reading literature: an introduction. Routledge.
Stewart, R. M. (Ed.). (1996). Readings in social and political philosophy. Oxford University
Press. (p. 235-246)
Wagner, P. (2018). Social and Political Philosophy, Historical-Comparative Sociology and
the Critical Diagnosis of the Present: a Reply. Social Imaginaries, 4(2), 109-134.