Related Ideas

In later work, Rawls clarified and expanded his concept of reflective equilibrium. In a paper called "The Independence of Moral Theory" he made it clear that his reflective equilibrium is reached not only by considering general principles and particular judgments, but my considering judgments at "all levels of generality." He went on to distinguish "wide" and "narrow" reflective equilibrium. A wide equilibrium is reached after we "have had an opportunity to consider other plausible conceptions and to assess their supporting grounds." Ideally, this would mean considering "all feasible conceptions" and "all reasonable arguments for them."

Perhaps we could go even further and speak of a "complete" equilibrium that would develop out of the moral principles, judgments, and arguments that Rawls considers in a wide equilibrium but would also consider the best available information from all of the relevant natural and social sciences. Our moral judgments on racial segregation or homosexuality, for example, would then have to be consistent with the best scientific knowledge concerning race and sexuality.

Reference: