Rawls: An IntroductionRawls: An Introduction is a uniquely comprehensive introduction to the work of the American philosopher John Rawls (1921-2002), who transformed contemporary political philosophy. In the 1950s and 1960s, political philosophy seemed to have reached a dead end characterized by a loose predominance of utilitarian theses. Rawls’s conception of liberalism placed civil liberties and social justice at its core, and his extraordinary influence has only been confirmed by the extent of the criticism he has provoked. The book is divided into three parts which correspond to Rawls’s three major books. The first concentrates on A Theory of Justice (1971) and examines the way in which Rawls’s general vision of social justice is presented. Maffettone also includes here a discussion of some of the most important critiques of Rawls. The second part of the book highlights Political Liberalism (1993-6), with a chapter dedicated to the “passage” from Theory of Justice to Political Liberalism. Finally, the third part provides a discussion of The Law of Peoples (1999). This work is acomprehensive examination of these three major texts by a renowned Rawls scholar and will appeal to all philosophers and social scientists for whom it is essential to understand the key theories of this most influential of political philosophers. |
Contents
1 INTRODUCTION | 1 |
2 THE THEORY | 25 |
3 THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF JUSTICE | 52 |
4 THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF JUSTICE | 70 |
5 THE ORIGINAL POSITION | 100 |
6 REFLECTIVE EQUILIBRIUM | 139 |
7 MAIN CRITICISMS OF RAWLS | 158 |
8 FROM A THEORY OF JUSTICE TO POLITICAL LIBERALISM | 189 |
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Common terms and phrases
accept According to Rawls argument basic liberties basic structure chapter choice citizens claims communitarian comprehensive doctrines conception of justice concerns considered constitutional constructivism criticism critique culture democratic depends difference principle distinction distributive justice Ethics fact formulation fundamental global Habermas human rights individuals inequalities institutions interpretation intuitionism John Rawls Journal of Philosophy justice as fairness Kant Kantian KCMT Law Review Lecture legitimation liberal democracy liberal-democratic luck egalitarianism maximin nature normative notion Nozick original position overlapping consensus Oxford parties person Philosophy & Public pluralism point of view political conception Political Liberalism political philosophy political theory presented presupposes primary principles of justice priority of right problem procedure Public Affairs public reason rational Rawls's Rawlsian reciprocity reflective equilibrium relation religious revision Sandel second principle sense of justice social contract social justice stability substantial theoretical theory of justice thesis tion utilitarianism veil of ignorance well-ordered society