Synopsis
Cohen mounts a rigorous egalitarian critique of Rawls, arguing that true justice requires an egalitarian ethos in personal choices, not just fair institutions.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Modern copyrighted workIf the talented demand extra pay to work hard, a society cannot call itself fully just — justice must reach into personal motivation, not just rules.
It challenges Rawls's allowance of incentive inequalities, insisting justice constrains individual conduct and not merely the basic structure.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
Reading note
Read it in dialogue with Rawls's difference principle, following Cohen's argument that personal ethos cannot be exempted from justice.
Best paired with
Anarchy, State, and Utopia