John Rawls

The duty to support just institutions is a natural duty.

The principles of justice are to be chosen under conditions of imperfect information.

The concept of a person as free and equal is a fundamental idea in justice as fairness.

The idea of a constitutional democracy is that political power is to be exercised according to a constitution that is publicly affirmed by all citizens.

The problem of stability is to show that a just society can be stable over time.

The principles of justice are to be applied to the basic structure of society as a whole.

The idea of a liberal democracy is that citizens are free and equal and have a right to participate in the political process.

The principles of justice are to be chosen by rational agents who are mutually disinterested.

The concept of justice is essentially a matter of fairness.

The idea of public reason is not a limit on individual thought, but a limit on how citizens are to present their political arguments to one another.

The principles of justice are to be chosen under conditions of moderate scarcity.

The idea of a well-ordered society is a regulative ideal.

The concept of justice as fairness is a form of social contract theory.

The natural distribution is neither just nor unjust; nor is it unjust that persons are born into society at some particular position.

The difference principle transforms the aims of society into a cooperative venture for mutual advantage.

A just society must provide the social bases of self-respect for all citizens.

The liberties of equal citizenship must not be sacrificed to political bargaining.

The two principles of justice apply to the basic structure of society and govern the assignment of rights and duties.

The two principles of justice are, first, that each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive scheme of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar scheme of liberties for others. Second, social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both (a) reasonably expected to be to everyone's advantage, and (b) attached to positions and offices open to all.

Ignorance of these particulars about oneself means that no one is able to tailor principles to his own advantage.