Justice as Illustrated by Karl Marx and John Rawls

Because Rawls believes that a social contact issues the principles of justice, and that social contract equals justice, people will enter into the contract knowing that they have the same basic chances as others to succeed. Marx would argue that this is not enough, because anytime there is an inequality, at least economically, a class struggle ensues. For the plan that Marx formulates to be put into action requires the complete banishment of property, and because of the banishment of the means of production, political power falls into the hands of the people, who are interested in the good outcome of themselves and the society as a whole, thus mending the flaws in today’s socioeconomic framework.

Rawls and Marx both believe that freedom is very important to the society because it allows each member to not be burdened by natural chance and the oppressions of those at the top. Marx does not believe that the class struggle and oppression will be overcome though, without complete equality via abolition of private property. Rawls believes that this is possible through a mutually derived social contract, which leaves inequalities only for those who help out the lowest in society. This inequality according to Rawls is just and will facilitate the acquisition of liberties for those at the bottom, while Marx believes that those inequalities foster class tension and ultimately necessitate struggle and uprising by the proletariat.