The Veil of Ignorance

Applying a Framework for Fairness in Public Policy

A structured method for clarifying disagreements about values involves a three-step process. Arrange the following steps of this method into the correct logical order.

A city council is debating whether to install a new surveillance camera system in the downtown area for public safety. One council member says, "Before we decide on this specific camera system, let's first consider if we would be comfortable with the principle of constant public monitoring if it were applied in other contexts, like our own neighborhoods or inside public buildings." This member's comment is an attempt to execute which part of a structured method for clarifying values?

Applying a Value Clarification Method to a Tax Debate

Evaluating a Method for Ethical Reasoning

When using the structured three-step method for clarifying values, if a proposed general principle is found to be inconsistent when applied to a different hypothetical case, the method dictates that the principle must be completely abandoned.

A structured method for clarifying values involves three distinct steps. Match each step with its primary purpose in the process of ethical reasoning.

In the structured, three-step method for clarifying values, after a general principle has been formulated based on a specific case, the crucial third step is to check this principle's consistency by applying it to _________.

A student is using a structured, three-step method to analyze the fairness of a university's policy that gives legacy applicants (children of alumni) a preference in admissions. The student first judges the specific policy to be unfair. They then formulate the general principle: 'Any university policy that provides an advantage to one group of applicants over others is inherently unfair.' Finally, to test this principle, the student considers a different case: a university policy that gives preference to applicants from low-income families.

According to the logic of the structured method for clarifying values, what is the most likely result of this test, and what does it require the student to do?

Analyzing a Flawed Ethical Argument