CORE Strenghten Your Life Skills: For Teenagers and Young Adults – English

Unit 3 – Fair for all of us: Step 2

Task 1

Read the following thought experiment

Imagine you and your colleagues in this class had the possibility to determine the basic rules for the society you will live in. These rules will apply for everyone. While you and your colleagues discuss the rules and agree on the best ones, you are behind the veil of ignorance.

Veil of ignorance means that you do not know, what you will be in this future society. When you have agreed on the rules and the veil of ignorance gets lifted, you might be rich or poor. You might be healthy, sick or have a disability. You might be a man, a woman, a child or an old person. You do not know the colour of your skin. You might be born and live in Brazil, Iceland, Afghanistan, Switzerland or any country around the world. You do not know which interests or skills you will have, nor what religion you belong to. You might be a Jew, Muslim, Christian, Bahai, or it might be that you do not believe in God at all.

While you can make the rules for society, you cannot change human nature. Some people will be nice, others selfish, some will be cruel, others noble and generous. (Idea by: Rawls, John (1971). A Theory of Justice)

Task 2

Imagine you are behind the veil of ignorance

Write down at least 3 rules you find fair. You can use the text tool or write your text on paper. These words might help you:

  • everyone
  • no one
  • all
  • shall / shall not
  • have / have not
  • duty
  • right

Task 3

Form groups of 4 - 6 students

  • All participants present their rules.
  • Debate the rules and try to agree on at least 3 rules you all consider fair.
  • Write down each rule on a separate piece of paper and attach them on a wall or on a table.
  • Explain your rules to the whole group/class.

Task 4

Think about yourself in another role

Either your teacher hands you a role or you can choose one from the text below. You can also invent a role by yourself.

Now think about the rules from «Task 2» and «Task 3». Are they still fair?

Write a short text about the chosen role and the rules. Has something changed?

Try to imagine yourself in one of these roles or invent a role:

  • widow with no children
  • successful IT-manager with dark skin living in Europe
  • Jewish child in an all-Christian school
  • Teenager with special needs
  • etc.

Would the three rules from «Task 2» and «Task 3» still be fair for you?

Task 5

Explain your rules to the whole group

  • Discuss in a group or class which rules would be fair or unfair for the different roles.
  • Try to agree on fair rules.

Task 6

Connect with other learners!

Share your thoughts and express yourself.