Who believed that the circumstances into which people are born influence their personal outcome?

John Rawls is best known for his theories regarding justice and fairness, particularly through his concept of the "veil of ignorance." He argued that social and economic inequalities should be arranged so that they benefit the least advantaged members of society and emphasized the role that circumstances — such as social class, family background, and the conditions of birth — play in determining an individual's life prospects.

Rawls posited that since individuals do not choose their place in society, any principles of justice should ensure that these arbitrary factors do not unfairly affect opportunities and outcomes. This focus on the influence of background and circumstance on individuals' success directly aligns with the belief that where a person starts in life strongly impacts where they end up.

In contrast, the other thinkers mentioned, such as Aristotle, Kant, and Hobbes, had differing focuses. Aristotle was more concerned with virtue ethics and the role of rationality, Kant emphasized moral imperatives and autonomy, while Hobbes focused on social contract theory and the nature of human beings in a state of nature, none of which center specifically on the influence of one's birth circumstances on personal outcomes.