The only contract based ethical system comes from the writings of
options:
Immanuel Kant
John Rawls
Jeremy Bentham
John Stuart Mill
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is John Rawls.
John Rawls is the philosopher known for his contract-based ethical system, often referred to as “The Theory of Justice”. His work is primarily concerned with establishing a framework for a just society based on the principles of fairness. Rawls argued that principles of justice should be decided under a hypothetical social contract, where individuals would choose the most just principles from behind a “veil of ignorance.” The veil of ignorance is a thought experiment that asks individuals to imagine they do not know any of their personal characteristics, such as age, gender, race, or social status, in order to make impartial decisions about the structure of society. This is done to eliminate bias in decision-making.
Rawls proposed two main principles of justice. The first is that each person should have equal rights to the most extensive basic liberties, such as freedom of speech and the right to vote. The second is the difference principle, which holds that social and economic inequalities should only exist if they benefit the least advantaged members of society. This principle seeks to address inequalities in a way that ensures the worst-off individuals are still better off than they would be under any other system.
In contrast to Rawls’ contract-based theory, the ethical systems of Immanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill are not primarily contract-based. Kant’s ethics are grounded in duty and the categorical imperative, which requires actions to be guided by universal moral laws. Bentham and Mill are known for their versions of utilitarianism, which focus on maximizing overall happiness or pleasure, without necessarily involving a social contract in their reasoning.
Rawls’ contract-based theory is influential in contemporary political philosophy, especially in discussions of social justice and the distribution of resources in society.