Reading Passage Question
To understand John Rawls's theory of justice, one first needs to grasp what he was reacting against. The dominant approach in pre-Rawls political philosophy was utilitarianism, which emphasized maximizing the fulfillment of people's preferences. At first sight, utilitarianism seems plausible-what else should we do but try to achieve the most satisfaction possible for the greatest number of people?-but the theory has some odd consequences. Suppose executing an innocent person will appease a mob, and that doing so will therefore increase total satisfaction. Incredibly, a utilitarian would have to endorse the execution. Rawls accordingly complains that, in the utilitarian view, there is no reason "why the violation of the liberty of a few might not be made right by the greater good shared by many."
If we reject utilitarianism and its view about the aim of the good life, how can we know what justice requires? Rawls offers an ingenious answer. He asserts that even if people do not agree on the aim of the good life, they can accept a fair procedure for settling what the principles of justice should be. This is key to Rawls's theory: Whatever arises from a fair procedure is just.
But what is a fair procedure? Rawls again has a clever approach, beginning with his famous veil of ignorance. Suppose five children have to divide a cake among themselves. One child cuts the cake but does not know who will get which shares. The child is likely to divide the cake into equal shares to avoid the possibility of receiving the smallest share, an arrangement that the others will also admit to be fair. By denying the child information that would bias the result, a fair outcome can be achieved.
Rawls generalizes the point of this example of the veil of ignorance. His thought experiment features a situation, which he calls the original position, in which people are self-interested but do not know their own station in life, abilities, tastes, or even gender. Under the limits of this ignorance, individuals motivated by self-interest endeavor to arrive at a solution in which they will not lose, because nobody loses. The result will be a just arrangement.
Rawls thinks that people, regardless of their plan of life, want certain "primary goods." These include rights and liberties, powers and opportunities, and income and wealth. Without these primary goods, people cannot accomplish their goals, whatever they may be. Hence, any individual in the original position will agree that everyone should get at least a minimum amount of these primary goods. Unfortunately, this is an inherently redistributionist idea, since the primary goods are not natural properties of human beings. If someone lacks a primary good, it must be provided, at the expense of others if necessary.
“To understand John Rawls's theory of justice, one first needs to grasp”- is a reading comprehension passage with answers for the GMAT. Candidates must have a strong understanding of English GMAT reading comprehension. This GMAT Reading Comprehension section contains 4 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are intended to assess candidates' abilities to comprehend, analyze, and apply information or concepts. GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions can help candidates actively prepare.
Solutions and Explanation
1) The author's primary purpose in the passage is to
(A) show why a once-dominant theory was abandoned
(B) describe the novel way in which a theory addresses a problem
(C) sketch the historical development of a celebrated theory
(D) debate the pros and cons of a complex theory
(E) argue for the truth of a controversial theory.
Answer: (B)
Explanation: The question inquires about the passage's primary purpose. Understanding the passage and grasping the overall idea of the passage is required for this type of question. In this passage, Rawls' theory of justice addresses the issue delicately. According to this, the statement in the second option is the correct and most appropriate answer. All of the remaining options are incorrect.
2) According to the passage, Rawls uses which one of the following devices to explain his theory?
(A) a thought experiment
(B) a process of elimination
(C) an empirical study of social institutions
(D) a deduction from a few basic principles
(E) a consideration of the meaning of words
Answer: (A)
Explanation: Rawls takes a skilful approach once more, beginning with his famous veil of ignorance. Assume that five children must divide a cake among themselves. One child cuts the cake but has no idea who will receive which portions. To avoid receiving the smallest share, the child is likely to divide the cake into equal shares, an arrangement that the others will agree is fair. According to this reasoning, the first option is the correct answer.
3) With which one of the following statements would both Rawls and the author of the passage be most likely to agree?
(A) There are situations in which it is permissible to treat the fulfillment of one person's preferences as more important than the fulfillment of the majority's preferences.
(B) Unless individuals set aside their own self-interest, they cannot make fair judgments about the distribution of goods.
(C) If an individual lacks a good, society must sometimes provide that good, even if this means taking it from others.
(D) Most people agree about which of the primary goods is the most valuable.
(E) It is fair to sacrifice the individual's interests if doing so will maximize the satisfaction of the majority.
Answer: (A)
Explanation: The utilitarian argument in favour of execution is rejected by both Rawls and the author. The innocent person prefers to live in order to avoid execution. The mob would rather execute the innocent person. In this case, Rawls and the author would both agree that the mob's preferences should not be honoured. This is because they are not as important as the preferences of one innocent person. This agreement backs up the first option, which is the correct answer.
4) The author's stance toward Rawls's theory is most accurately described as one of
(A) scholarly neutrality with respect both to its objectives and its development
(B) disdain for its pretensions camouflaged by declarations of respect for its author
(C) sympathy with its recommendations tempered with skepticism about its cogency
(D) enthusiasm for its aims mingled with doubts about its practicality
(E) admiration for its ingenuity coupled with misgivings about some of its implications
Answer: (E)
Explanation: How can we know what justice requires if we reject utilitarianism and its view of the goal of the good life? Rawls responds cleverly, beginning with his famous veil of ignorance. Unfortunately, this is an inherently redistributionist idea, because primary goods are not natural human properties. According to this, the last option is the correct answer.
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