Ethicist: A society is just when, and only when, first, each person has an equal right to basic liberties, and second, inequalities in the distribution of income and wealth are not tolerated unless these inequalities are to everyone's advantage and are attached to jobs open to everyone.
The stimulus sets out two conditions that are both sufficient and necessary for a just society. Note that the second condition is itself an entire conditional relationship with two of its own necessary conditions! The stimulus can be diagrammed as follows:
We need to find the right application. We can conclude a society is just if it meets both conditions listed in the stimulus:
1. Everyone has an equal right to basic liberties.
2. If income and wealth inequalities are tolerated, then those inequalities must be to everyoneβs benefit and must also stem from jobs that are open to everyone.
Otherwise, if a society fails any of those conditions, we can conclude that it is not just.
Analysis by AlbertGauthier
Which one of the following βββββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββ
Society S guarantees ββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ ββββββ ββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ ββββ βββββββ βββββ βββββββ β ββ βββββ
Society S gives ββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ βββββββ βββββ βββββββ β ββ βββ βββββ
Society S allows ββββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ βββ βββββ ββββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββ ββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββ βββββββ β ββ βββββ
Society S distributes ββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ βββββ βββββββ β ββ βββ βββββ
Society S gives ββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββ ββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ βββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ ββββ βββββ βββββββ β ββ βββββ