Is the veil of ignorance only a concept about risk? An

We implement the Rawlsian veil of ignorance in the laboratory. Our design allows separating the e¤ects of risk and social preferences behind the veil of ignorance. Behind the veil of ignorance subjects prefer more equal distributions than in front of the veil, but only a minority acts according to maximin preferences. Men prefer more equal allocations mostly for insurance purposes, women also due to social preferences for equality. Our results imply that behind the veil of ignorance maximin preferences are compatible with any degree of risk aversion as long as social preferences for equality are su ¢ ciently strong