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| 22406 | The maximisation of happiness must be done fairly |
| Full Idea: Rawls has suggested that we should maximise the general happiness only if we do so in a fair way. | |||
| From: report of John Rawls (Justice as fairness: Political not Metaphysical [1958]) by J.J.C. Smart - Outline of a System of Utilitarianism 6 | |||
| A reaction: Rawls is usually seen as an opponent of utilitarianism, but if we allow a few supplementary rules we can improve the theory. After all, it has a meta-rule that 'everybody counts as one'. What other supplementary values can there be? Honesty? |