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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 麗玲 辛

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

你和一群陌生人齊聚一堂， 要設計一個公正的社會。

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

為了確保你們任何人都無法 操縱系統來讓自己受益，

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

你們都被安排在「無知之幕」下。

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

在這帷幕之下，你們無法得知 自己與彼此的某些資訊。

and yourselves.

You don’t know your age or sex,

你們不知道你們的年齡或性別、

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

你們的職業或天賦、 你們擁有多少財富，

or your religious or philosophical beliefs.

或你們的宗教或哲學信仰。

So, according to political philosopher John Rawls,

根據政治哲學家約翰‧羅爾斯，

you should be motivated to consider what’s most fair

你應該會被驅使去思考

怎樣才是對全社會的公民公平。

for all your society's citizens.

When Rawls published this thought experiment—

羅爾斯的這項思想實驗 「原初立場」發表在

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

他 1971 年的著作《正義論》中，

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

他試圖找出支持現實烏托邦的原則。

This visionary society would ensure everyone had the resources

這個幻想中的社會

會確保每個人都有必要的資源與機會，

and opportunities required to freely pursue their goals.

讓他們能自由追求自己的目標。

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

羅爾斯相信，只有在民主制度中 才能實現這些原則。

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

但他認為現有的社會結構 並不是正走向正確的道路。

He believed free market philosophies and welfare capitalism

他相信自由市場哲學和福利資本主義

led to unjust accumulations of wealth and power.

會導致財富和權力的不公平累積。

And he saw models inspired by Marxism

且他把受馬克思主義啟發的模型視為

as extreme reactions to capitalism’s flaws,

對資本主義缺陷的極端反應，

with unrealistic assumptions about economies and human nature.

其對經濟及人類本質的 假設很不切實際。

So Rawls proposed a new kind of democracy.

所以羅爾斯提出了一種新式民主制度。

One where no person was considered less valuable than another

在這種制度中，每個人都同等有價值，

and all citizens could live according to their own wills.

且所有公民都可以 按照自己的意願過生活。

And while the details of this vision can seem radical,

雖然這個願景的細節看似激進，

Rawls believed that, under the veil of ignorance,

但羅爾斯相信，在無知之幕下，

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

自由且平等的人會全體一致 認同他的公平社會。

So, let’s play out this thought experiment.

所以，咱們來做做看這個思想實驗。

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

要設計這個社會，第一步

是要決定如何分配羅爾斯 所謂的基本必需品。

what Rawls called primary goods.

These include the basic liberties, opportunities, and wealth

這些必需品包括追求大多數目標

necessary for pursuing most goals.

所需要的基本自由、機會，和財富。

Rawls believed our justice-architects would agree

羅爾斯相信我們的正義設計師

會認同所有人的 「平等的基本自由設定」，

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

including freedom of speech

包括言論自由

and the freedom to associate with whoever they choose.

以及自己選擇要和誰結社的自由。

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

畢竟，如果沒有 追求自己目標的自由，

resources like wealth and job opportunities lose their value.

財富和就業機會等資源 就失去它們的價值。

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

公民也會擁有平等的政治自由， 包括投票和競選公職。

Next, Rawls believes the architects would establish what he calls

接著，羅爾斯認為 設計師會建立他所謂的

“fair equality of opportunity.”

「機會的公平均等」。

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

這意味著社會的安排必須要

避免任何人被不公平地剝奪

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

爭取受重視的工作 和其他職位所必要的資源。

However, after agreeing upon equality of liberty and opportunity,

然而，在認同自由 和機會的平等之後，

Rawls believes our justice-architects would see the benefits

羅爾斯認為我們的正義設計師

就會發現允許一些 財富不平等是有好處的。

of allowing for some wealth inequalities.

For example, greater profits can incentivize innovation,

比如，更大的利潤可以激勵創新、

productivity, and investment.

生產力，和投資。

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

但羅爾斯也相信我們的設計師 會想要限制財富的差距，

with what he calls “the difference principle.”

用他所謂的「差異原則」來限制。

This states that wealth inequalities are only acceptable

此原則指出只有在下列情況， 才容許財富不平等：

when they benefit the least advantaged citizens,

最弱勢的公民能夠 從這種不平等中受益，

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

讓他們的境況比 在完全平等的條件下更好。

These tenets form the foundation of Rawls’ just society,

羅爾斯的公正社會的基礎 是由這些教條所構成，

and he believed they could be achieved through what he called

且他認為可以透過他所謂的 「擁有財產的民主制度」來實現。

“property owning democracy.”

This model would guarantee equal access to education and healthcare

這種模型可以保證大家能 平等地取得教育和健康照護，

and rely on government regulation to ensure a just distribution

且要仰賴政府的監管

來確保財產和財富能被公正地分配。

of property and wealth.

Rawls knew fully adopting this approach would require major changes

羅爾斯知道，若要完全採用這種方法，

就會需要大大改變現有的民主制度。

for existing democracies.

But he believed his principles could at least inspire

但他相信他的原則

至少可以激發一些立即的改善。

some immediate improvements.

For example, Rawls advocated for limits on campaign spending

比如，羅爾斯提倡要限制競選支出

and political contributions

和政治捐獻，

to reduce the influence of wealth on politics.

以減少財富對政治的影響。

He also endorsed policies fighting discrimination

他還支持打擊歧視的政策

and generous social safety nets like unemployment benefits

及慷慨的社會保障網，如失業津貼，

to ensure a good situation for the worst-off.

以確保最不幸的人也能有好的處境。

Some philosophers have critiqued Rawls’ work.

有一些哲學家批評羅爾斯的著作。

Ronald Dworkin argues that the difference principle

羅納德‧德沃金主張，

差異原則很不公平地將社會的進步 和最不幸的人綁在一起，

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

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

即使他們是因為自己的選擇 而落得那般田地。

Meanwhile, Martha Nussbaum believes Rawls’ thought experiment

同時，瑪莎‧努斯鮑姆 認為羅爾斯的思想實驗

overlooks real-life particulars.

忽略了真實生活的細節。

For example, the special needs of a person with disabilities

比如，身心障礙人士的特殊需求

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

可能無法透過基本必需品的 標準分配來滿足。

And more generally,

更普遍地，有人認為羅爾斯的 和諧思想實驗中的設計師

some argue the architects in Rawls’ harmonious thought experiment

are simply too different from the competing interests

實在和建立真實社會的 利益競爭情況太不同了。

building real societies.

But since its publication,

但自從發表之後，

this thought experiment has inspired some very real consequences.

此思想實驗確實啟發了 一些非常真實的結果。

Rawls’ rallying cry for social and political equality

羅爾斯呼籲社會和政治平等

and a more justly regulated form of capitalism

以及用更公正的方式來規範資本主義，

has impacted countless political philosophers, activists, and policymakers.

影響了無數政治哲學家、活動家，

以及政策制訂者。

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

這波關於正義的新思潮

持續挑戰大家跨越自己的偏見，

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

並去思考真正公平的社會可能的樣貌。