In John Rawls's idea of original position, citizens make agreements about the rules and institutions of society while shrouded by what Rawls calls the veil of ignorance. This term implies a system in which people do not have knowledge about their own identity, social categorization and other politically relevant features. Instead, they are imagined to possess the same, clear information about the natural facts of human beings and society. Essentially, Rawls's original position would result in fairer decisions made by an objective majority uninfluenced by individual position, biases, advantages, or disadvantages.

This idea is reliant on the publicity condition. This initial condition ensures that the votes and judgments of each individual are publicly accessible information; public transparency avoids exploitation and deception while ensuring fair and honest political action.

Another condition Rawls outlines is the stability requirement. This articulates the necessity of accessibility: the principles of a just society should be something that every individual can voluntarily commit themselves to upholding. Justice, in this framework, should actively promote people's individual moral growth and the varied expressions of their unique interests.

Under the veil of ignorance people have no knowledge of their personal circumstances and their political features (e.g. socioeconomic class, race, gender, etc.). However, they do retain knowledge about the natural facts of society and human life.

Rawls's original position and veil of ignorance aim to ensure a fair social contract. It accomplishes this lofty goal by disguising people's social position and personal interests, preventing individuals from scheming to fix the contract in selfish, personally-advantageous ways, and creating a more balanced structure for all involved.