Which principle is associated with improving conditions for the least advantaged?

Which principle is associated with improving conditions for the least advantaged?

• A. Principle of utility
• B. Difference principle
• C. Veil of ignorance
• D. Equality of opportunity

Answer: (B)

The principle tested is the Difference Principle. It states that social and economic inequalities are acceptable only if they work to the benefit of the least advantaged members of society. This picks out a norm of maximin thinking: policies should be arranged so that the worst-off are as well-off as possible, even if that means accepting some inequalities that, on average, improve overall welfare. In Rawls’s framework, this principle sits with the idea of fair equality of opportunity, yet it specifically targets outcomes for the least advantaged rather than merely providing fair chances. The other options don’t focus on improving those at the bottom. The principle of utility aims to maximize total or average happiness, which can tolerate, or even require, widening gaps if overall welfare increases. The veil of ignorance is a method for deriving principles, not a principle itself. Equality of opportunity ensures people have equal chances to compete, but it doesn’t guarantee that the least advantaged will be better off.

The principle tested is the Difference Principle. It states that social and economic inequalities are acceptable only if they work to the benefit of the least advantaged members of society. This picks out a norm of maximin thinking: policies should be arranged so that the worst-off are as well-off as possible, even if that means accepting some inequalities that, on average, improve overall welfare. In Rawls’s framework, this principle sits with the idea of fair equality of opportunity, yet it specifically targets outcomes for the least advantaged rather than merely providing fair chances.

The other options don’t focus on improving those at the bottom. The principle of utility aims to maximize total or average happiness, which can tolerate, or even require, widening gaps if overall welfare increases. The veil of ignorance is a method for deriving principles, not a principle itself. Equality of opportunity ensures people have equal chances to compete, but it doesn’t guarantee that the least advantaged will be better off.