Picture a perfect society. What does it look like? - Joseph Lacey

Translator: Diego Rodríguez Vila Reviewer: Mario Cal

Tradución: Diego Rodríguez Vila

You and a group of strangers have been gathered to design a just society.

Reúnenvos a ti e a un grupo descoñecido para deseñardes unha sociedade xusta.

And to ensure none of you rig the system to benefit yourself,

Para asegurar que non amañades o sistema para o voso beneficio,

you’ve all been placed under a “veil of ignorance.”

cóbrenvos a todos cun “veo da ignorancia”.

Under this veil, you’re blind to certain information about each other

Baixo este veo, non discriminades certa información do resto do grupo

and yourselves.

e de vós mesmos.

You don’t know your age or sex,

Non sabedes a vosa idade ou xénero,

your profession or natural talents, how much wealth you have,

o voso oficio, os vosos talentos innatos, canta riqueza tedes

or your religious or philosophical beliefs.

ou as vosas crenzas relixiosas e filosóficas.

So, according to political philosopher John Rawls,

Daquela, segundo o filósofo político John Rawls,

you should be motivated to consider what’s most fair

deberiades estar motivados a ter en conta o que é máis xusto

for all your society's citizens.

para toda a cidadanía.

When Rawls published this thought experiment—

Cando Rawls publicou este experimento mental,

known as “the original position”— in his 1971 opus “A Theory of Justice,”

coñecido como “a posición orixinal”, na súa obra de 1971 “A Theory of Justice”,

he was trying to identify principles to support a realistic utopia.

procuraba identificar os principios nos que basear unha utopía realista.

This visionary society would ensure everyone had the resources

Esta sociedade visionaria aseguraríase de que todo o mundo tivese os recursos

and opportunities required to freely pursue their goals.

e as oportunidades precisas para perseguiren libremente as súas metas.

Rawls was confident these principles could only be realized in a democracy.

Rawls cría que estes principios só poderían ver a luz nunha democracia.

But he felt existing social structures weren’t the right path forward.

Con todo, as estruturas sociais actuais non eran, para el, o camiño a seguir.

He believed free market philosophies and welfare capitalism

Cría que as filosofías do libre mercado e do capitalismo do benestar

led to unjust accumulations of wealth and power.

conducían á acumulación inxusta de riqueza e poder.

And he saw models inspired by Marxism

Tamén xulgaba os modelos inspirados no marxismo

as extreme reactions to capitalism’s flaws,

como reaccións extremas ás eivas do capitalismo

with unrealistic assumptions about economies and human nature.

con premisas pouco realistas sobre a economía e a natureza humana.

So Rawls proposed a new kind of democracy.

Entón, Rawls propuxo un novo tipo de democracia

One where no person was considered less valuable than another

onde ningunha persoa fose considerada menos valiosa ca o resto

and all citizens could live according to their own wills.

e onde a cidadanía puidese vivir seguindo a súa vontade.

And while the details of this vision can seem radical,

Se ben os detalles desta visión semellan radicais,

Rawls believed that, under the veil of ignorance,

Rawls coidaba que, baixo o veo da ignorancia,

free and equal people would unanimously agree to his fair society.

a xente, libre e igual, estaría de acordo coa súa sociedade xusta.

So, let’s play out this thought experiment.

Vamos reproducir logo o experimento mental.

The first step in designing our society is deciding how to distribute

O primeiro paso no deseño desta sociedade é decidirmos como distribuír

what Rawls called primary goods.

o que Rawls chamaba “bens primarios”.

These include the basic liberties, opportunities, and wealth

Estes abranguían as liberdades básicas, oportunidades e riqueza

necessary for pursuing most goals.

necesaria para acadar calquera meta.

Rawls believed our justice-architects would agree

Rawls cría que os nosos arquitectos da xustiza convirían

to an “equal scheme of basic liberties” for all,

nun “esquema de liberdades básicas” igual para todos,

including freedom of speech

coa liberdade de expresión

and the freedom to associate with whoever they choose.

e a de asociación con calquera persoa incluídas.

After all, without the freedom to pursue one's goals,

Despois de todo, sen a liberdade de perseguir metas,

resources like wealth and job opportunities lose their value.

bens como a riqueza ou as oportunidades laborais perden valor.

Citizens would also have equal political liberties to vote and run for office.

A cidadanía tamén tería os mesmos dereitos a votar e á militancia política.

Next, Rawls believes the architects would establish what he calls

A seguir, Rawls xulgaba que os arquitectos establecerían o que chamou

“fair equality of opportunity.”

“igualdade xusta de oportunidades”.

This means society must be arranged so no one is unfairly deprived

É dicir, a sociedade debe organizarse para que a ninguén lle priven inxustamente

of the resources necessary to compete for valued jobs and other positions.

dos recursos necesarios para competir por traballos ou outros cargos.

However, after agreeing upon equality of liberty and opportunity,

Porén, após estaren de acordo na igualdade de liberdades e oportunidades,

Rawls believes our justice-architects would see the benefits

Rawls opina que os arquitectos da xustiza veríanlle vantaxes

of allowing for some wealth inequalities.

a permitiren unha certa desigualdade económica.

For example, greater profits can incentivize innovation,

Por exemplo, un maior lucro pode incentivar a innovación,

productivity, and investment.

a produtividade e o investimento.

But Rawls also believes our designers would want to limit differences in wealth

Mais Rawls tamén cría que os deseñadores quererían limitar as diferenzas de riqueza

with what he calls “the difference principle.”

mediante “o principio da diferenza”.

This states that wealth inequalities are only acceptable

Este indica que as desigualdades na riqueza son aceptables

when they benefit the least advantaged citizens,

só cando benefician os cidadáns menos favorecidos,

making them better off than they’d be under conditions of strict equality.

deixándoos mellor do que estarían en condicións de igualdade estrita.

These tenets form the foundation of Rawls’ just society,

Estes principios conforman as bases da sociedade xusta de Rawls

and he believed they could be achieved through what he called

e, segundo el, poderían acadarse a través do que deu en chamar

“property owning democracy.”

“a democracia da propiedade”.

This model would guarantee equal access to education and healthcare

Este modelo garantiría o igual acceso á educación e á sanidade

and rely on government regulation to ensure a just distribution

e dependería da regulación do goberno para asegurar a distribución xusta

of property and wealth.

da propiedade e da riqueza.

Rawls knew fully adopting this approach would require major changes

Rawls sabía que adoptar este enfoque requiriría cambios profundos

for existing democracies.

ás democracias existentes.

But he believed his principles could at least inspire

Mais confiaba en que os seus principios inspirasen

some immediate improvements.

melloras decontado.

For example, Rawls advocated for limits on campaign spending

Por exemplo, Rawls defendía limitar o gasto das campañas

and political contributions

e as contribucións políticas

to reduce the influence of wealth on politics.

para reducir a influencia da riqueza na política.

He also endorsed policies fighting discrimination

Tamén defendeu políticas contra a discriminación

and generous social safety nets like unemployment benefits

e redes de seguridade social altruístas como o subsidio do paro

to ensure a good situation for the worst-off.

para mitigar a situación dos máis desfavorecidos.

Some philosophers have critiqued Rawls’ work.

Algúns filósofos criticaron o traballo de Rawls.

Ronald Dworkin argues that the difference principle

Ronald Dworkin alude que o principio da diferenza

unfairly tethers society’s progress to the status of the worst-off,

couta inxustamente o avance social ao status dos desfavorecidos,

even if they’re in that position because of their own choices.

mesmo se se atopan nesa posición por decisión propia.

Meanwhile, Martha Nussbaum believes Rawls’ thought experiment

Alén diso, Martha Nussbaum acha que este experimento mental

overlooks real-life particulars.

omite detalles da vida real.

For example, the special needs of a person with disabilities

Por exemplo, as necesidades das persoas con discapacidades

might not be satisfied by the standard distribution of primary goods.

non estarían cubertas mediante unha repartición usual dos bens primarios.

And more generally,

De maneira xeral,

some argue the architects in Rawls’ harmonious thought experiment

debátese se os arquitectos do experimento, tan harmoniosos,

are simply too different from the competing interests

son demasiado diferentes dos intereses en competencia

building real societies.

que si erixen as sociedades.

But since its publication,

Porén, desde a súa publicación

this thought experiment has inspired some very real consequences.

este experimento mental inspirou varias consecuencias reais.

Rawls’ rallying cry for social and political equality

A defensa a morte de Rawls da igualdade social e política

and a more justly regulated form of capitalism

e dunha reforma xusta do capitalismo

has impacted countless political philosophers, activists, and policymakers.

impactou moitísimos filósofos políticos, activistas e lexisladores.

And this new school of thought about justice continues to challenge people

E esta nova escola do pensamento sobre a xustiza segue incitando á xente

to look past their biases and consider what a fair society might truly look like.

a ignorar os seus nesgos e a reflexionar sobre como ha ser unha sociedade xusta.