Public reason from "summary" of A Theory of Justice, Revised Edition by John Rawls,Professor John Rawls
The idea of public reason plays a central role in the political conception of justice that I advance in this work. Public reason is the reason that individuals in a democratic society may reasonably expect one another to accept in political discussion. It is the reason that citizens should use when they deliberate about what laws and policies their society should adopt. In a pluralistic society, citizens hold a wide range of comprehensive doctrines that are incompatible with one another. Given this fact, I argue that citizens must be able to justify the laws and policies they advocate using reasons that can be shared by all members of society. These reasons are public reasons because they are accessible to everyone, regardless of their particular comprehensive doctrines. Public reason requires citizens to set aside their own personal beliefs and instead appeal to principles and values that all reasonable citizens can accept. By doing so, citizens demonstrate respect for one another as equals and create a basis for cooperation in a diverse society. Public reason enables citizens to engage in political discussion on terms that are fair and just, allowing them to reach mutually acceptable decisions about the common good. In using public reason, citizens must be willing to enter into a process of reciprocal and mutual justification. This process involves offering reasons that can be understood and accepted by others, while also being open to considering and responding to the reasons put forward by others. Through this process of reasoned discourse, citizens can arrive at political decisions that are based on principles of justice that all can endorse. Public reason is not a set of rules or procedures that citizens must follow in political debate. Instead, it is a moral ideal that guides citizens in their efforts to engage in political discussion in a way that is respectful, inclusive, and fair. By appealing to public reason, citizens can create a more just and democratic society in which all individuals can participate as equal members.
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