Sunday 26 March 2017

John Rawls - Philosopher of Justice (1935 - 2007)

John Rawls had a passion for justice that we cannot comprehend. Born in Ohio in 1935, he grew up pondering how to improve humanity. As a boy of eight, he helped his grandmother and parents to resolve some of their disputes.

What, then, was this philosophy of his, which we continue to discuss to this day? John Rawls created nothing less than a new theory of justice. In early articles he wrote about fairness and how to reach equilibrium with the people around you. Everyone liked this work, and encouraged him to do procure more. They were not disappointed - Except RM Hare was unimpressed and famously created a scathing review about him; Rawls produced a 600 page magnum opus called A Theory of Justice. While long and difficult, many people agree that this work is a landmark in social and political philosophy. Will it make us more just? I do not know the answer to this question. Only time will tell.

Here's to you, Rawls.

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