"The point of the veil of ignorance is to exclude those contingencies that set men at odds and tempt them to exploit social and natural circumstances to their own advantage."

"The principles of justice apply to the basic structure of society and govern the assignment of rights and duties and regulate the distribution of social and economic advantages."

"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 justice is to specify the principles that free and rational persons concerned to further their own interests would accept in an initial position of equality."

"We are not to think of the original position as an actual assembly."