If you could redesign society from scratch, but had to make those decisions without knowing who you would be in this new society, what would it look like?

Veil Ignorance

I heard about this concept a few weeks ago, read the wikipedia page, got to the critics and thought it was not something worth talking about in the newsletter. But yesterday, I found myself reading my notes to prepare this weekly digest and thought I should persist and look for more content about it. I wanted to find content that would express this concept from a different perspective. And that’s exactly what I found on the Farnham Street blog. It immediately clicks in my head and thought it was finally an idea worth highlighting on cmdncmds! The Veil Ignorance, also known as the ‘’Original Position’’, is a thought experiment used for reasoning about the principles that should structure a society based on solidarity. The question asked in the highlight is very powerful and radical. It’s hardly conceivable to fairly and objectively reply to this question because as Shane says: ‘’our usual opinions regarding what is just and unjust are informed by our own experiences. We are shaped by our race, gender, class, education, appearance, sexuality, career, family, and so on.’’, but I think it’s a wise principle to keep in mind If you happen to be in a position where you have to debate or make a decision.