Veil of Ignorance
A thought experiment where you design a society's rules without knowing what position you'll occupy in it. If you don't know whether you'll be rich or poor, you tend to design fairer systems.
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Origin
Introduced by philosopher John Rawls in his landmark 1971 work A Theory of Justice. Rawls proposed that the fairest principles of governance are those chosen from an "original position" where decision-makers are behind a veil that hides their future social status, abilities, and personal circumstances. The concept builds on earlier social contract theory from Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau.
Updated February 22, 2026