Rawls’s "Difference Principle" And Its Implications For China

In the book "The theory of justice", the difference principle is very characteristic, and it is one of the most important characteristics that distinguish Rawls from other contemporary political liberalists. Through the interpretation of the difference principle, we are trying to comprehend its foundation and essence. The difference principle, as the important part of the two principle of justice, is based on the choice of the original position, just like the other principles. This choice is not isolated, but together with other principles, to constitute the principle of justice. That is why it is not reasonable to discuss the difference principle in an isolated way. We should comprehend the difference principle on the background of the principle of justice. The difference principle must be built on a well-ordered cooperation system, which firstly demand for the protection of the individual right and freedom. The difference principle is seeking for the distribution variation, which can not violate the individual right and freedom. In the meantime, the equality for an open-up opportunity is also a significant premise of the difference principle. Because the difference principle require peoples’ legitimate expectations based on the well-ordered cooperation system, without the individual right and freedom and the open-up principle, this expectations will be a fantastic talk.Consider the content of the difference principle, we can find out that it is built up on the basic of the so-called legitimate expectations. Rawls defines the least fortunate group as a group of people who have the least legitimate expectations, or otherwise the most fortunate group. The legitimate expectations come from the cooperation system itself, that is to say that the legitimate expectations is based on the relationship between right and obligation that comes from the qualification of contract, which is made on the circumstances of the veil of ignorance. This is Rawls’ creative idea: The legitimate expectations is not a common expectation, it is not based on the congenital right, it is not a moral due, it is a personal right which the institutional arrangement has entrusted to us. The index of the legitimate expectations is the primary goods, which include the basic civil right and freedom, opportunity, power, wealth and revenue, and self-respect. These constitute the criterion to measure the legitimate expectations.In fact, these primary goods are also the content of a cooperation system. Essentially, the difference principle is based on a certain institutional construction, and becomes one of the principles of institutional construction itself. So, the difference principle is not a compensation for the least fortunate group, based on the reason for sympathy or due. On the other hand, the difference principle is a principle that constitutes the cooperation system and make sure the cooperation system can be stable and just. That is why it is not a compensatory principle, but a reciprocal principle.We are trying to comprehend the problem of contemporary Chinese society, one the basic of Rawls’ liberal spirit which is contained in the difference principle. Nowadays,the gap between rich and poor in China is much more bigger, it is necessary to consider Rawls’ difference principle. According his thought, the first thing we should do is to build up a well-ordered cooperation system to meet the basic premise of the difference principle, that is the individual right and freedom and the open-up principle. Secondly, we should seek for the least fortunate group in China’s vision, which is the so-called disadvantaged group. In China, these people are lack of democratic rights and equal commonwealth citizenship. They do not have their opportunity to get well-educated, they can not enjoy a reasonable social security system. So, in order to put forward the corresponding solutions based on the reality of China’s current situation, we think the basic way to achieve Rawls’ difference principle is to boost the improvement of the constitutional right of equal commonwealth citizenship, as well as to strengthen the social security, and to promote free education and free medical care.