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Original position

The original position is a hypothetical situation created by philosopher John Rawls as a thought experiment. It figures prominently in his book, A Theory of Justice.

In the original position, one is supposed to be unaware what sort of person one will be in the world. For example, one is unaware of one's sex, ethnicity, religion, and so on. One is then supposed to decide what sort of society would be preferable given this position of ignorance.

The thought experiment is therefore a device for producing laws that could be acceptable to all, without prejudice.

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