Who should get what, and why

Personal & Social Development · Ethics & Philosophy · ages 16-18

Name ______________________ Date ____________

A food fund supports households because they cannot afford enough food. Which basis guides this allocation?
- Need
- Equal shares
- Effort
Which list names the three possible bases for sharing examined in this lesson?
- Need, rank and family ties
- Need, effort and equal shares
- Wealth, fame and status
In Rawls's veil-of-ignorance thought experiment, you choose society's principles knowing your own income and social position.
Circle one: True False
How does hiding your personal position help Rawls's thought experiment?
- It blocks tailoring principles to a known advantage
- It guarantees agreement with every principle outside the experiment
- It makes personal prospects irrelevant
Everyone may apply for training, but social background blocks equally talented and motivated applicants from comparable prospects. Which Rawlsian requirement is at issue?
- Equal resources
- Fair equality of opportunity across social backgrounds
- Identical earnings for workers in all occupations
Three feasible plans protect basic liberties and fair opportunity. Other relevant features are comparable. The least advantaged receive 4 units under A, 7 under B and 5 under C. Which best meets the difference principle?
- Plan A, giving the least advantaged 4 units
- Plan B, giving the least advantaged 7 units
- Plan C, giving the least advantaged 5 units
A club awards a prize for the most time spent helping and divides its notebooks equally among members. Imani helped longer than any other member. Leo says she should get the prize and more notebooks. Which assessment follows both rules?
- Longer work supports the award, but not a larger notebook share.
- Longer work supports both the award and a larger notebook share.
- Equal notebook shares require the club to divide the work award equally too.
A council defends a fixed litter fine by saying, 'The money penalty should be identical for the same offence.' Which feature does this stated reason stress?
- An equal share of income
- Rewards matching each resident's effort in paid employment
- The same money penalty for the same offence

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Who should get what, and why W1-mt_umi3pKeHa1-s1

Need · The stated reason is a shortage of food. Support responds to need rather than rewarding work or giving everyone identical amounts.
Need, effort and equal shares · The lesson examines need, effort and equal shares. These are possible bases, not an exhaustive list of every view of justice.
False · The veil withholds those personal facts while principles are chosen. This blocks choosing principles around a position you already know is yours.
It blocks tailoring principles to a known advantage · The veil blocks using a known personal advantage to shape the principles. People can still care about their prospects; universal agreement outside the experiment is not guaranteed.
Fair equality of opportunity across social backgrounds · Fair equality of opportunity concerns prospects across social backgrounds, not permission to apply alone. It does not require identical resources or earnings for everyone.
Plan B, giving the least advantaged 7 units · In this simplified comparison, B gives the least advantaged the greatest benefit: 7 units rather than 4 or 5. The prompt states that the other requirements are met.
Longer work supports the award, but not a larger notebook share. · Imani's longer work meets the prize criterion. The notebooks follow a separate equal-share rule. Leo correctly identifies the prize recipient but wrongly extends the effort rule to the notebooks.
The same money penalty for the same offence · The reason stresses an identical money penalty. It does not establish equal burdens relative to income or reveal the policy's whole theory of justice.