of the deliberations; they must be willing to abide by the rules, even if they find
themselves at the very bottom of the social ladder.

Rawls replaces the traditional idea that individuals have "natural rights" that are
traceable to a "state of nature". He broadens socialcontract theory by introducing
rational choice behind a veil uf^gnofaaee, as a way of determining what principles
are fair and right. Rawls' supporters believe this is an improvement over Locke's
defense of rights.

Supporters believe that Rawls manages to avoid the fundamental problems of
utilitarianism. Rather than sacrificing individual rights to the common good, citizens
in the original position would be expected to secure their fundamental rights, just as
the Bill of Rights secures certain rights within the United States Constitution.
Social contract thinkers, utilitarians and Professor Rawls all belong to a Western
intellectual tradition known as political liberalism or classical liberalism. The
tradition says that questions about how to live the good life - and what kind of life is
the best life - should be decided by individuals, not by government. Classical
liberals believe that liberty is a central condition of successful civilization and to
safeguard liberty, they typically seek to limit the powers of government.          ^