Rawls, John

"The duty of civility requires citizens to be willing to explain their political views by reference to public reason."

"A person's life prospects should depend on their talents and efforts, not on the accident of their birth."

"The reasonable is distinguished from the rational by its recognition of others as moral equals who make legitimate claims."

"Justice between generations requires that each generation preserve the just institutions and resources necessary for justice."

"Background justice in a market economy requires constant adjustment through taxation and property law reform."

"Citizens in a well-ordered society have a natural duty to comply with just institutions they have benefited from."

"The Kantian interpretation of justice as fairness shows respect for persons as ends in themselves."

"Political legitimacy requires that laws be justified not merely by their consequences but by their conformity to justice."

"The primary goods are those that any rational person would want, regardless of their specific conception of the good."

"Justice cannot be understood merely as efficiency or utility maximization; it requires fairness in the distribution of benefits and burdens."

"A constitutional democracy must protect not only individual rights but also the fair value of political liberty."

"Reciprocity is fundamental to justice; principles must be acceptable to all parties under fair conditions of agreement."

"The healthy society is one where basic institutions are arranged so that everyone can view themselves with self-respect."

"Reasonable pluralism about the good life is a permanent feature of democratic societies."

"The parties in the original position would not choose utilitarian principles because these could impose excessive burdens on minorities."

"Fair equality of opportunity requires not only preventing discrimination but actively promoting equal access to education and positions."

"In a just society, the distribution of natural talents and abilities is neither just nor unjust; what matters is how institutions respond to it."

"Political justice cannot depend on any particular comprehensive moral, religious, or philosophical doctrine."

"The concept of legitimacy is distinct from the concept of justice; legitimacy concerns the authority to make binding decisions."

"Citizens in a constitutional democracy must respect the political equality of their fellow citizens even when they disagree fundamentally."

"A just distribution of wealth reflects both effort and the underlying fairness of initial opportunities."

"The basic structure operates as a background justice that sets the framework for all other institutions."

"Democratic citizens must develop the intellectual and moral capacities necessary for effective political participation."

"Justice requires that inequalities in wealth serve to improve the situation of those who are least well off."

"The social primary goods—rights, liberties, opportunities, income, and the social bases of self-respect—are the focus of justice."

"In designing just institutions, we should consider what free and equal persons would agree to under fair conditions."

"The basic liberties form a unified system that cannot be traded off against other primary goods."

"A just society acknowledges the permanent moral disagreement among citizens about the ultimate nature of the good."

"Political power must be exercised according to a constitution that could be justified by appeal to political reasons accessible to all."

"The principle of efficiency cannot serve as the sole basis for justice because it ignores distributional concerns."