Final answer:
John Rawls's difference principle includes the idea that inequalities are justified if they work to the benefit of the least advantaged in society. This concept goes hand in hand with providing fair equality of opportunity and is aligned with egalitarian values of equal moral worth and status for all individuals. Option 1) Individuals are justified by working for the benefit of the least advantaged is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference principle articulated by John Rawls is a concept within his theory of justice. It states that any social and economic inequalities in society should, first, be attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity, and second, they must be of the greatest benefit to the least advantaged members of society. This principle aligns with the ideals of egalitarianism, which emphasizes equality in moral worth and the equal status of all individuals.
The difference principle suggests that a just society does not necessarily require a strict equality of distribution, but rather a system that raises the position of the least advantaged as high as possible. Rawls argues that inequalities are permissible when they can improve the absolute condition of the least advantaged members of society, rather than strictly promoting material equality. In conclusion, of the given options, the difference principle includes the concept that individuals are justified by working for the benefit of the least advantaged (option 1). Rawls posits that inequalities that benefit the least advantaged and do not result in unequal liberty can be part of a just society. His principles point towards the justification of a welfare state and an equitable distribution of resources that preferentially supports the least well-off in society.