<![CDATA[Michael Sandel critiques Rawls’s “justice as fairness” and then offers an alternative theory of justice based on Aristotle’s political ethics. Sandel believes Rawls’s theory of justice is built on the foundation of Kant’s deontological ethics, which emphasizes the priority of rights over the good. Therefore, Sandel positions Rawls and Kant as adherents of deontological liberalism, both of whom reject utilitarianism and all teleological ethics. Sandel rejects this priority of rights and asserts that justice cannot be defined abstractly without considering the goals, attachments, identities, and contexts of real-life human beings. Sandel criticizes Rawls’s original position, stating that the veil of ignorance creates a rational subject that is too abstract, metaphysical, “blind to knowledge,” and detached from actual human motivations and goals. Sandel shows that a hypothetical contract in the original position cannot be the basis for moral legitimacy because formal agreements do not guarantee justice. Sandel then develops a theory of community justice based on Aristotle’s political ethics. Sandel (following Aristotle) views politics as a means of forming good citizens and promoting the good life.]]>
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