The original position is a hypothetical situation developed by
American philosopher John Rawls as a thought experiment to
replace the imagery of a savage state of nature of prior
political philosophers like Thomas Hobbes. In the original
position, the parties select principles that will determine the
basic structure of the society they will live in. This choice is
made from behind a veil of ignorance, which would deprive
participants of information about their particular
characteristics: his or her ethnicity, social status, gender
and, crucially, Conception of the Good (an individual's idea of
how to lead a good life). This forces participants to select
principles impartially and rationally. In social contract
theory, persons in the state of nature agree to the provisions
of a contract that defines the basic rights and duties of
citizens in a civil society. In Rawls's theory, Justice as
Fairness, the original position plays the role that the state of
nature does in the classical social contract tradition of T