If you didn’t know who you’d be, would you design this society?

Video Description

What if we designed society before we knew who we’d be in it? Philosopher John Rawls asked that question in A Theory of Justice, and his answer was revolutionary. Fairness, he said, means building institutions that protect everyone, not just the powerful. In this video, I explore how Rawls’ veil of ignorance could reshape politics, taxation, and economics today, and why justice must be built into policy rather than be added as charity. What would you change if you didn’t know where you’d stand? Let us know your thoughts by voting in our poll: https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxPlRqNl7wvE48K0CuBooL9NKiPzqgjbOP 00:00 – What is the veil of ignorance? 01:00 – Imagining life without privilege 02:00 – The meaning of justice in Rawls’ theory 03:00 – Fairness as rational design, not charity 04:00 – The two principles of justice 05:00 – Why Rawls matters in today’s politics 06:00 – Applying Rawls to real government policy 07:00 – Essentials for all: income, housing, healthcare, education 08:00 – Taxation, redistribution, and participation 09:00 – Justice as the foundation of a politics of care 10:00 – Why aiming for fairness defines a moral society TRANSCRIPT A transcript for this video is available at: https://www.taxresearch.org.uk IF YOU WANT TO WRITE TO YOUR MP ABOUT ISSUES IN THIS VIDEO If you want to write a letter to your MP on the issues raised in this blog post, there is a ChatGPT prompt to assist you in doing so, with full instructions, here. https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/06/20/chatgpt-prompt-for-a-letter-to-your-mp/ HOW TO SUPPORT US Please consider donating: https://ko-fi.com/taxresearch ABOUT RICHARD MURPHY Richard Murphy is Emeritus Professor of Accounting Practice at Sheffield University Management School. He is director of Tax Research LLP and the author of the Funding the Future blog. His best-known book is ‘The Joy of Tax’. This video was edited by Thomas Murphy. RICHARD MURPHY ON BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/richardjmurphy.bsky.social OR ON MY BLOG: http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/ HIT SUBSCRIBE & GET NOTIFICATIONS Subscribe and get notified of new videos released. INTRODUCTION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdHsRPy3060 PLAYLISTS: The Wealth Series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgobQLeyZYAagFDMjEFTKbhRD Ecenomics https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgob54Gs-fOL-8OAQ-IpduwB4 Britain https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgobwTT4ATvJjsf8OO6S7wD10 Tax https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgoaMni_12J6ULp3yUJisUZoY MMT https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgoZ6jvRGSW5YXu8qogE6aClX Money https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgoYnLk1c7syTvoIo8bKYUs5m Climate Change https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgob4_wsYaVivWd2WumpPLYwJ USA https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgoYYd3dSyU2Oyl3x7bWJOP7H Labour https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgoa-KhzG-fnjDSg1WROL1zMw The Trump Administration https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvRueM6wBgobz41-GLimTho27A3flVWQx #JohnRawls #VeilOfIgnorance #TheoryOfJustice #MoralPhilosophy #Fairness #Equality #SocialJustice #PoliticalEconomy #RawlsianJustice #EthicalEconomics #WellbeingEconomy #Redistribution #MoralGovernment #PoliticsOfCare #DemocraticReform #EmpathyInPolicy #JusticeAndFairness #PublicEthics #PhilosophyOfJustice #EconomicMorality