Philosophy 2: Society and Values  

Pierce College

Department of History, Philosophy, & Sociology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group Exercise for Rawls' Fairness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Notes on the importance of group exercises.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this activity, each group fabricates an instance of fairness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Rawls, unfair actions can emerge in these ways:

 

A) A group is able to benefit just themselves by "taking advantage of loop-holes or ambiguities in rules." 

B) Someone is able to take advantage of "unexpected or special circumstances which make it impossible to enforce" rules that would normally apply.  

C) A group insists "that rules be enforced to [their] advantage when they should be suspended." 

D) A group is "acting contrary to the intention of a practice," just because they think that they can get away with it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For You?  When do you think unfair actions happens? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individually:

 

On a sheet of paper, describe an instance where someone was acting unfairly, even though that person was not violating any law. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In groups:

0) Share your descriptions from the previous step. 

 

1) Invent and describe an example of something that is obviously fair, and briefly explain why you think it is obviously fair. 

 

2) Invent and describe an example of something that is obviously unfair, and briefly explain why you think it is obviously unfair. 

 

3) Invent and describe an example of something that is neither obviously fair or unfair, and briefly explain why you think it is neither obviously fair or unfair. 

 

4) Put your group's three descriptions, and three brief explanations, on a sheet of paper that also includes your group members' names and today's date.  

 

5) Present your descriptions to class.