2. Policy Ideologies
The Rawlsian Framework
Judging a society by how it treats its most vulnerable.
In response to the failures of simple averages, the Rawlsian approach argues that a society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.
Rather than aiming to raise the average, this framework directs all political capital toward raising the Minimum Wellbeing Baseline. Policies are designed to protect the worst-off, even if doing so limits gains at the top of the distribution.
Side Note: The Veil of Ignorance
John Rawls proposed the "veil of ignorance" thought experiment: if you did not know where in society you would be placed, you would rationally choose to design a system that prioritises the worst-off.
The Issue with Linearity
The Rawlsian framework successfully addresses absolute poverty, but it relies on a flawed mathematical assumption: that the life satisfaction scale is perfectly linear.
It treats a jump from 2 to 3 out of 10 exactly the same as a jump from 8 to 9. However, human experience dictates that escaping misery is vastly more valuable than gaining extra luxury. To account for this, we must introduce the concept of Utility.
Next: Personal Utility