John Rawls
contemporaryAnalytic Political Philosophy / Liberal Egalitarianism1921 – 2002
John Rawls was an American political philosopher widely regarded as the most influential political philosopher of the 20th century. His landmark work, A Theory of Justice (1971), revitalized normative political philosophy by offering a systematic liberal egalitarian alternative to utilitarianism grounded in a social contract framework.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed the theory of justice as fairness
2
Introduced the 'original position' and 'veil of ignorance' thought experiments
3
Formulated the two principles of justice, including the difference principle
4
Authored Political Liberalism (1993), refining his theory around reasonable pluralism
5
Wrote The Law of Peoples (1999), extending justice to international relations