ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introduction to the Rawls and the veil of ignorance, followed by a thought experiment. It is followed by a short discussion and then a series of questions. People live in a world where some people are worried about the colour of their yacht whilst others are struggling to feed their family. The political philosophers to tries to answer for this problem. The thought experiment presents a case of a person who has recently been given a powerful position in the government, and it is his job to distribute goods across the population. The questions are intended to get the philosophy students thinking about the problems. They have used these kinds of questions in seminars as the questions set for seminars, so they also think that they can be used to spark conversation and discussion. The chapter also gives a cursory sketch of some of the ways in which philosophers have responded to the thought experiment.
