About the author
American political philosopher (1921–2002), professor at Harvard. A Theory of Justice (1971) revived analytical political philosophy after decades of decline and remains the most discussed work in political philosophy since the war. Rawls's veil of ignorance thought experiment — choose principles of justice without knowing your position in society — is the most widely cited device in contemporary political theory.
Synopsis
A major theory of justice asking what principles people would choose for society if they did not know their own position in it.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Modern copyrighted workRawls asks us to imagine choosing principles of justice from behind a veil of ignorance.
This forces readers to think about fairness without knowing whether they will be rich, poor, powerful, weak, talented, or disadvantaged.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with Robert Nozick or communitarian critiques.
Reading note
This is demanding. Beginners may want secondary introductions before reading the whole book.
Best paired with
Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia.