John Rawls: An Introduction

Description

What is a just political order? What does justice require of us? These are perennial questions of political philosophy. John Rawls, generally acknowledged to be one of the most influential political philosophers of the twentieth century, answered them in a way that has drawn widespread attention, not only from political philosophers, but from political scientists, economists, those in the field of public policy, and experts in jurisprudence. It is not only academics who have been inspired by Rawls' ideas; they have also influenced the theory of government and continue to play a role in actual public political debates. This introduction outlines Rawls' work on the theory of justice. Focusing on Rawls' own writings, from his first publication in 1951 to his final ones some fifty years later, Percy B. Lehning demonstrates how and why they can be considered as one consistent and coherent body of work.

Percy B. Lehning is Professor of Political Theory, Emeritus at Erasmus University Rotterdam. He is an internationally renowned Rawls-specialist and has published widely on Rawls, on political theory, on normative issues of public policy and on political theoretical issues of the European Union.

'John Rawls was the pre-eminent social theorist of the 20th century, but while he drew powerful critics from Robert Paul Wolff and Robert Nozick to Brian Barry, it is only now with Percy Lehning's new book that we have a definitive and comprehensive account of the theory of justice as it evolved over fifty years. Lehning has given students and scholars alike the indispensable introduction Rawls deserves.' Benjamin R. Barber, DEMOS and Author of Jihad vs. McWorld and Consumed 'No one influenced contemporary political philosophy more than John Rawls, and few scholars knew him as well and studied his work as closely as Percy Lehning. This lucid and well-documented introduction may persuade you that Rawls resembles Pascal's God in one respect: 'A little bit of thinking leads you away from him, a lot of thinking takes you back to him.'' Philippe van Parijs, Universite catholique de Louvain