Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This book is the first detailed reconstruction of the late work of John Rawls. John Rawls is considered to be one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century. Well known for his writings as a political philosopher, Rawls also commented on economic and developmental psychology topics. His book A Theory of Justice has produced a considerable number of commentaries on Rawls' theory of "justice-as-fairness." In this volume Edmundson explores the generally accepted notion that Rawls was a defender of welfare-state capitalism as found in Western Europe and the United States. He points out that shortly before his death, Rawls expanded on what type of regime meet his criteria of a just state in his Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. Edmundson further develops Rawls' ideas on what our individual duties of justice are when we find ourselves in a society that falls short of justice and fairness.
Synopsis
This book is the first detailed reconstruction of the late work of John Rawls, who was perhaps the most influential philosopher of the twentieth century. Rawls's 1971 treatise, A Theory of Justice, stimulated an outpouring of commentary on 'justice-as-fairness, ' his conception of justice for an ideal, self-contained, modern political society. Most of that commentary took Rawls to be defending welfare-state capitalism as found in Western Europe and the United States. Far less attention has been given to Rawls's 2001 book, Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. In the Restatement, Rawls not only substantially reformulates the 'original position' argument for the two principles of justice-as-fairness but also repudiates capitalist regimes as possible embodiments. Edmundson further develops Rawls's non-ideal theory, which guides us when we find ourselves in a society that falls well short of justice