John Rawls

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John Rawls (1937 senior portrait)

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Political Liberalism by John Rawls (1993 1st ed.)

John Bordley Rawls (February 21, 1921 – November 24, 2002) was an American philosopher and a leading figure in moral philosophy and political philosophy. He is best known for his book A Theory of Justice (1971), which has been hailed as one of the most important works in political philosophy in the 20th century. Rawls introduced the concept of justice as fairness, which he developed using a thought experiment known as the original position and the veil of ignorance.

Early Life and Education

John Rawls was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to William Lee Rawls and Anna Abell Stump Rawls. He was the second of five children. Rawls's early education was at the Calvert School in Baltimore, followed by the Kent School in Connecticut. He then attended Princeton University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1943 with a degree in philosophy. After serving in World War II, Rawls returned to Princeton to pursue his doctorate in philosophy, which he completed in 1950.

Career

Rawls taught at several universities throughout his career, including Cornell University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and finally Harvard University, where he became the James Bryant Conant University Professor. His teaching and research focused on moral and political philosophy, with a particular interest in the foundations of liberal democratic theory.

Philosophical Contributions

Rawls's work in philosophy revolutionized the field, particularly through his development of the concepts of justice as fairness, the original position, and the veil of ignorance. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls argues for two principles of justice: the first principle guarantees the right to each person to have the most extensive basic liberty compatible with the liberty of others, and the second principle states that social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both (a) to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged and (b) attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity.

His later work, Political Liberalism (1993), expanded on these ideas, addressing the question of how a stable and just society of free and equal citizens can live in accordance with a shared reasonable liberal political conception of justice.

Impact and Legacy

Rawls's theories have had a profound impact on both philosophy and political theory, influencing a wide range of debates on justice, equality, and democracy. His work has inspired a vast body of literature and a new generation of philosophers and political theorists. Despite criticism from various quarters, Rawls's ideas continue to be a central reference point for discussions on political and moral philosophy.

Selected Works

• A Theory of Justice (1971)
• Political Liberalism (1993)
• The Law of Peoples (1999)

Death

John Rawls died on November 24, 2002, in Lexington, Massachusetts. His death marked the end of an era in American philosophy, but his work continues to influence thinkers around the world.