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Primary Goods

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Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research
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Synonyms

Rawls’ basic goods

Definition

The term “primary goods” has been introduced by John Rawls to denote the basic goods and liberties that all individuals in a society ought to have (Rawls 1971, 2001). Under the principles of justice, all individuals in a society are expected to have equal right to basic liberties thus being able to advantage the most from the liberty they experience. Equal rights to basic liberties mean equal opportunities to all and a fair chance in realizing their aims and goals.

Description

John Bordley Rawls (1921–2002), Professor at Harvard University at the time he died, was an American Philosopher and an influential thinker in the tradition of liberal political philosophy (Freeman 2007, 2009; Wenar 2008). His contribution to moral and political philosophy is well recognized and honored. Rawls was awarded the Schock Prize for Logic and Philosophy (1999) and the National Humanities Medal (1999). Rawls’ work is noted for its influence on a number of...

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References

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Correspondence to Anastasia Petrou .

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Petrou, A. (2023). Primary Goods. In: Maggino, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_2260

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