What is the “Difference Principle”? Does Rawls give good reasons for thinking that it is a requirement of justice?

University: Philosophy

...
such as sex, race, disabilities, social class etc. Self-interested rational persons are not ignorant though of the general types neither of possible situations in which humans can find themselves nor of general facts about human psychology and human nature. Standing behind the Veil of Ignorance, self-interested rational persons are given the task of choosing the principles that shall govern the actual world. Rawls believes that this is the fundamental basis of his principle of justice. The principles chosen in such a scenario would be fair and just principles. A self-interested rational person behind the Veil of Ignorance would not want to belong to a race or gender or sexual orientation for example which would cause them to face discrimination or harm. As such principles would be adopted that oppose discrimination and intolerance. Similarly, a self-interested rational person would not want to belong to a generation which had been allocated a lower than average quantity of resources.
...

*Very simple registration required first