Write 5 pages thesis on the topic the significance of the difference principle.

Write 5 pages thesis on the topic the significance of the difference principle. Equality of opportunity opens up offices and opportunities to everyone, but Rawls’ major objection is that this is done on the basis of a lottery, which does not address the already existing inequalities between applicants. While equality of opportunity distributes positions on the basis of merit, it does not necessarily ensure that all individuals in the first place, have a reasonable opportunity to acquire the skills on the basis of which such merit is assessed. As a result, the distribution of society’s resources occurs on a random basis, which may not necessarily be just, especially because it fails to take into account social and economic inequalities that may already exist.

Rawls demonstrates this through the example of members in the entrepreneurial class, who start off in society in a better position as compared to those who begin as unskilled laborers. How can such an initial inequality be starting to be justified? It may be justifiable, however, through the application of the difference principle, “only if the difference in expectation is to the advantage of the representative man who is worse off, in this case, the representative unskilled worker.” (Rawls, 2005:78). For example, when the entrepreneurs are allowed to exist in society in their elevated positions, they are able to generate work opportunities for others, namely the unskilled laborers, who would be worse off if such inequality was not allowed to exist, because they would not then have.