John Rawls 'Theory of Justice' and Its Critics

by Chandran Kukathas (Editor), Philip Pettit (Editor)

John Rawls' "A Theory of Justice" has been influential in philosophy, political theory, welfare economics and jurisprudence. This book is thought to be the first full-length study of Rawls' work. It provides a concise account of Rawls' central ideas, situates them within contemporary debates, and submits them to critical scrutiny. Kukathas and Petit discuss, among other things, the utilitarian orthodoxy and its problems; the emergence of majoritarian and other social choice alternatives; the contractarian synthesis and its policy implications; the notion of reflective equilibrium; and the various critiques of the contractarian view.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 1990

Reviews

[João Francisco Ferreira]

mais próximo de acabar esta cadeira do diabo

[Pavol Hardos]

26 years later, this is still a decent summary/overview of Rawls' philosophy. At 150 pages it's by far the shortest intro to Rawls I know, shorter than any of the more recent and more detailed accounts.

[Marc]

Written in an accessable way (maybe a little too accessable in some parts) and gives a decent overview over the most important critics of Rawls. Helped me learning for my exams.

[Lylesmith]

I believe this is one of the best introductions of TJ. Clear and accessible.