Rawls, John

Rawls, John
   b. 1921, Baltimore, Maryland
   Philosopher
   John Rawls has become the most important postwar liberal political theorist through his neo-Kantian reformulation of the social contract model. A Theory of Justice (1971), emphasizing justice as fairness in an anti-utilitarian argument rooted in rational selfinterest, has had great appeal in Europe and the USA. He posits a hypothetical, non-historical situation in which the ‘parties’ to the contract are placed behind a ‘veil of ignorance’ of their particular status in society and so would choose that ‘all social primary goods—liberty and opportunity, income and wealth, and the bases of self-respect—are to be distributed equally unless an unequal distribution of any or all of these goods is to the advantage of the least favoured.’ Non-violent civil disobedience to bring changes in law or government policy is sanctioned. Political Liberalism (1993) reaffirms his original stance while attempting to answer critics.
   See also: philosophy
   DAVID MELLETT

Encyclopedia of contemporary British culture . . 2014.

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  • Rawls,John — Rawls (rôlz), John. Born 1921. American political philosopher whose A Theory of Justice (1971) revived the social contractarian tradition by arguing that all members of society would support the same principles of justice under conditions that… …   Universalium

  • Rawls, John — born Feb. 21, 1921, Baltimore, Md., U.S. died Nov. 24, 2002, Lexington, Mass. U.S. political philosopher. He taught at Cornell University (1962–79) and later at Harvard University. He wrote primarily on political philosophy and ethics. His Theory …   Universalium

  • Rawls, John — (21 feb. 1921, Baltimore, Md., EE.UU.–24 nov. 2002, Lexington, Mass.). Filósofo político estadounidense. Enseñó en la Universidad de Cornell (1962–79) y después en Harvard. Escribió fundamentalmente sobre ética y filosofía política. Su Teoría de… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Rawls, John — (1921– ) American moral and political philosopher. Born at Baltimore, Rawls was educated at Harvard and Oxford. After teaching at Princeton and Cornell he joined Harvard in 1959. His major work, A Theory of Justice (1971), injected new life into… …   Philosophy dictionary

  • Rawls, John Bordley — ▪ 2003       American philosopher (b. Feb. 21, 1921, Baltimore, Md. d. Nov. 24, 2002, Lexington, Mass.), was among the most influential political thinkers of the 20th century. Rawls, who obtained a B.A. from Princeton University in 1943, spent… …   Universalium

  • Rawls's — Rawls, John …   Philosophy dictionary

  • Rawls — Rawls, John …   Philosophy dictionary

  • John Rawls — Full name John Rawls Born February 21, 1921(1921 02 21) Baltimore, Maryland Died November 24, 2002(2002 11 …   Wikipedia

  • John Rawls — (* 21. Februar 1921 in Baltimore, Maryland; † 24. November 2002 in Lexington, Massachusetts) war ein US amerikanischer Philosoph, der als Professor an der Harvard University lehrte. Sein Hauptwerk A Theory of Justice (1971) gilt als eines der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Rawls — John Rawls John Rawls Philosophe Occidental Philosophie contemporaine Naissance : 21 février 1921 (Baltimore) Décès : 24 novembre 2002 (Lexington) …   Wikipédia en Français

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