Et propter vitam vivendi perdere

In the world of political philosophy, few works have had as much impact as John Rawls' A Theory of Justice. First published in 1971, it remains one of the most widely read and influential books in the field. Rawls' central concern in A Theory of Justice is with the concept of justice itself. Specifically, he sets out to create a framework for understanding what a just society looks like. To do this, he engages in a thought experiment: he asks us to imagine that we are in an original position, a hypothetical state where we know nothing about ourselves or our place in society. In this position, Rawls argues, we would naturally seek to create a just society, one that maximizes our freedom and promotes the greatest good for all. The Two Principles of Justice To create a just society, Rawls proposes two principles of justice. The first is the principle of equal basic rights and liberties, which holds that each person in a society should have an equal claim to certain basic rights an...