What my students think of my needs (from an ethics class):

Chris Dennis
Ethics

To figure out why John Rawls would say my teacher should be provided glasses, first I had to put the two principles into plain English. So, the first principle says that each person involved in or even effected by a certain thing, deserves an equal right to have whatever they can that will help them be as good as everyone else. The second principle says that inequalities shouldn't exist unless it will help everyone, and unless everyone is allowed to do the thing they are disadvantaged at.

So, according to Rawls's first principle, my teacher should be provided glasses because the thing he is involved in (and I am sure he does many other things, this is just the example I will use) is teaching. Now, being nearsighted puts him at a disadvantage because you need see well to teach (i.e.: he needs to see -- kids sleeping (like myselfl, whatever that chicken scratch is on the board, who's water bottle he is holding, who he is picking on, kids coming in late, those trees he's always pointing at outside, my legs sticking out from under the desk so he doesn't trip, and Im sure there is something else he needs glasses to teach for). So he has the right to get glasses in order to be equal to other teachers.

Now, according to the second princible, it would be O.K. for him not to be provided glasses if it worked to his advantage and other teachers advantages as well. It would also be O.K. if he still had equal opportunity to get ajob as a teacher even without glasses. Well, Im sure having bad eyes would put him at a disadvantage though (having to watch all us terrible kids). And besides, with his short-sightedness he would have never been hired. So even according to the second principle, he should be privided glasses.

So, Rawls would agree that Professor K. Should be provided glasses. But from my point of view (obviously not an ethical one), I would still say he needs glasses. Why? Because he wants to see better and I think he looks goofy without them, but he should still have to pay for them himself!

Just incase this offended you, you should know it was meant to be funny.