ABSTRACT
This chapter was the first in US social work literature to apply the ideas of John Rawls to the development of practice principles. In addition, well ahead of his time, the author integrates an application of such issues as privilege, power, selfesteem, and trust into his discussion. “Morality” he argues, is critical because “[it] produces a set of values and seeks to generate trust and justice in reciprocal human relationships”. Consider what characterizes a relationship without trust. A relationship without trust is burdened with fears. It entraps the parties involved in a labyrinth of unfathomables: guessing intentions, deciphering motives, or searching for meaning that arouses or placates doubts. The first set of practice principles deals with fair and equal access to service. These principles assume that an absence of justice in the offer and initiation of service will seriously undermine that confidence on which trust relies.
