Description
For this discussion assignment, you should reflect on John Rawls’s conception of the veil of ignorance in the light of Susan Moller Okin’s rejection of the distinction between the public and private spheres. Rawls intended the veil of ignorance to apply only to the public sphere. What you should do is imagine what kinds of ideas and principles would come out if we applied it to the private sphere as well.
Think about two societies. Society 1 is the society we have now (the United States). Society 2 is a society that has been created from behind the veil of ignorance. Remember that behind the veil of ignorance, in the original position, when the rules and principles of the society are being created, you do not know your gender or sex. Would gender/sex roles be created behind the veil of ignorance? In what ways do you think that would men and women look, dress, and behave? Describe what you think a society that was designed from behind the veil of ignorance would look like, focusing on the private sphere. What are some of the differences between Society 1 and Society 2? In which society would you prefer to live?
