I'm a lawyer, too. So don't try to hide behind some fancy words or an intellectual midget like John Rawls. Here, let's start with something easy.
A guy walks into a convenience store. He steals a loaf of bread because his family didn't have any food. What is the "fair" result? What is the "just" result?
Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy
They are both the same. He may be punished, but not punished as heavily as someone who steals for a lesser reason. And the society tries to get help for his family.
And if you think both John Rawls and Lord Keynes are anything less than among the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, that just goes to show why we have very, very different world views. I'd list them on a list of the five most important intellectuals of the 20th century. Along with Bertrand Russell and two others. Maybe Henri Levi Stauss; John Kenneth Galbraith? But Keynes and Rawls would make my list.