Justice as Fairness and the Problem of Reasonableness

Abstract

In this paper I intend to show the importance of the concept of reasonable in John Rawls's theory of justice as fairness and, also, I intend to explain the problem of reasonableness in this theory. The starting point will be to stress the requirement of reasonableness made in justice as fairness on the moral agent. Next, I will identify some criticism of these criteria. I intend to show the criticism made by Estlund about the insularity of the concept of reasonableness and the necessity of truth and the criticism established by Timmons and Gaus regarding the requirement of reasonableness as excessive and ineffective too. The next step is to try to answer these criticisms and, finally, I will lay down an argument about a kind of reasonable moral responsibility that may be contained in justice as fairness.