{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T04:45:41Z","timestamp":1792730741381,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,8,1]],"date-time":"2014-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1406851200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":14306,"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/terms"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Am Polit Sci Rev"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1975,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>It is argued that Rawls does not offer a viable alternative to utilitarian morality. It is shown that the maximin principle would lead to absurd decisions. Thus, it is unfortunate that Rawls bases his theory on the assumption that the maximin principle would serve as decision rule in the original position. The present writer has shown (prior to Rawls's first paper on this subject) that we can obtain a highly satisfactory theory of morality, one in the utilitarian tradition, if we assume that in the original position expected-utility maximization would be used as a decision rule. Rawls's theory is unacceptable because it would force us to discriminate against the legitimate human needs of all individuals enjoying good fortune in any way\u2014 whether by being relatively well-to-do, or by being in reasonably good health, or by having good intellectual ability or artistic talent, etc.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2307\/1959090","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2006,5,6]],"date-time":"2006-05-06T02:08:59Z","timestamp":1146881339000},"page":"594-606","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":423,"title":["Can the Maximin Principle Serve as a Basis for Morality? A Critique of John Rawls's Theory"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"69","author":[{"given":"John C.","family":"Harsanyi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,8,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref011","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2224098"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref010","first-page":"15","volume-title":"Theory of Games and Economic Behavior","author":"von Neumann","year":"1947"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref007","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/257678"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref006","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/257416"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref004","first-page":"61","volume-title":"Decision Processes","author":"Radner","year":"1954"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref003","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01621459.1951.10500768"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref001","volume-title":"Statistical Decision Functions","author":"Wald","year":"1950"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref012","volume-title":"An Economic Theory of Democracy","author":"Downs","year":"1957"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref002","volume-title":"Cowles Commission Discussion Paper","author":"Hur-wicz","year":"1951"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref014","first-page":"255","article-title":"Some Ordinalist-Utilitarian Notes on Rawls's Theory of Justice","volume":"70","author":"Arrow","year":"1973","journal-title":"The Journal of Philosophy"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref008","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2021929"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref013","first-page":"141","article-title":"Some Reasons for the Maximin Criterion","volume":"64","author":"Rawls","year":"1974","journal-title":"American Economic Review"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref009","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2182612"},{"key":"S0003055400243141_ref005","volume-title":"The Foundations of Statistics","author":"Savage","year":"1954"}],"container-title":["American Political Science Review"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S0003055400243141","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2019,5,29]],"date-time":"2019-05-29T15:38:40Z","timestamp":1559144320000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S0003055400243141\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1975,6]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[1975,6]]}},"alternative-id":["S0003055400243141"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/1959090","relation":{},"ISSN":["0003-0554","1537-5943"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0003-0554","type":"print"},{"value":"1537-5943","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1975,6]]}}}