Beyond Economic Justice

Rawls's framework extends beyond wealth distribution. The veil of ignorance applies equally to questions of racial justice, gender equality, disability rights, and environmental policy. Would you design a society with racial hierarchies if you did not know your race? Would you accept a polluted environment if you might live downwind?

The framework is especially powerful for intergenerational justice. If you did not know which generation you would be born into, you would insist on environmental policies that protect future generations. Climate change becomes a justice issue, not merely an environmental one.