John Rawls
John Rawls was an American political philosopher whose A Theory of Justice (1971) is widely regarded as the most important work of political philosophy in the 20th century. His concept of 'justice as fairness,' derived from the thought experiment of the 'original position' behind a 'veil of ignorance,' provided a powerful liberal alternative to both utilitarianism and libertarianism and revitalized the social contract tradition.
Key Ideas
Key Contributions
- ● Developed 'justice as fairness' — a theory of justice derived from the hypothetical choice of rational agents behind a 'veil of ignorance'
- ● Formulated two principles of justice: (1) equal basic liberties for all, and (2) social and economic inequalities are just only if they benefit the least advantaged (the difference principle)
- ● Introduced the 'original position' and the 'veil of ignorance' as a thought experiment for deriving principles of justice
- ● Revitalized social contract theory as a framework for political philosophy
- ● Developed the concept of 'political liberalism' — a theory of justice that can gain the support of citizens with diverse comprehensive doctrines
Core Questions
Key Claims
- ✓ Justice is the first virtue of social institutions — as truth is of systems of thought
- ✓ The two principles of justice: (1) each person has an equal right to the most extensive scheme of basic liberties compatible with a similar scheme for others; (2) social and economic inequalities are permissible only if they benefit the least advantaged members of society (the difference principle)
- ✓ The original position behind the veil of ignorance is the fair procedure for choosing principles of justice
- ✓ Utilitarianism is inadequate because it may sacrifice the rights of individuals for the sake of aggregate welfare
- ✓ A well-ordered society can be maintained despite deep disagreements about the good through an overlapping consensus on political principles
Biography
Life
John Bordley Rawls was born on February 21, 1921, in Baltimore, Maryland. He studied at Princeton, served in World War II, and taught at Cornell, MIT, and Harvard. A Theory of Justice (1971) transformed political philosophy. He refined and extended his theory in Political Liberalism (1993) and The Law of Peoples (1999). He died on November 24, 2002.
Legacy
Rawls revitalized political philosophy and the social contract tradition. His theory of justice as fairness remains the dominant framework in liberal political philosophy.
Methods
Notable Quotes
"{'text': 'Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought.', 'source': 'A Theory of Justice, §1', 'year': 1971}"
"{'text': 'Injustice, then, is simply inequalities that are not to the benefit of all.', 'source': 'A Theory of Justice, §11', 'year': 1971}"
Major Works
- A Theory of Justice Treatise (1971)
- Political Liberalism Treatise (1993)
- The Law of Peoples Treatise (1999)
- Justice as Fairness: A Restatement Treatise (2001)
Influenced
- Robert Nozick · influence
- Martha Nussbaum · influence
- Charles Mills · Intellectual Influence
Influenced by
- Immanuel Kant · influence
- John Stuart Mill · influence
Sources
- A Theory of Justice (Harvard University Press)
- Rawls by Samuel Freeman (Routledge)
- The Cambridge Companion to Rawls (ed. Samuel Freeman)
External Links
Translations
Discussions
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