Political Liberalism

by Rawls, John

• ISBN13: 9780231052481
• ISBN10: 0231052480
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1993-05-01
• Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr

Summary

This book continues and revises the ideas of justice as fairness that John Rawls presented in A Theory of Justice but changes its philosophical interpretation in a fundamental way. That previous work assumed what Rawls calls a "well-ordered society," one that is stable and relatively homogenous in its basic moral beliefs and in which there is broad agreement about what constitutes the good life. This book goes deeper to ask how a stable and just society of free and equal citizens can live in concord when divided by reasonable but incompatible doctrines.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Introduction to the Paperback Edition

Political Liberalism: Basic Elements

Fundamental Ideas Addressing Two Fundamental Questions

The Idea of a Political Conception of Justice

The Idea of Society as a Fair System of Cooperation

The Idea of the Original Position

The Political Conception of the Person

The Idea of a Well-Ordered Society Neither a Community nor an Association

The Use of Abstract Conceptions

The Powers of Citizens and Their Representation

The Reasonable and the Rational

The Burdens of Judgement Reasonable Comprehensive Doctrines

The Publicity Condition: Its Three Levels Rational Autonomy: Artificial not Political Full Autonomy: Political not Ethical

The Basis of Motivation in the Person Moral Psychology: Philosophical not Psychological

Political Constructivism

The Idea of a Constructivist Conception Kant's Moral Constructivism Justice as Fairness as a Constructivist View

The Role of Conceptions of Society and Person

Three Conceptions of Objectivity Objectivity Independent of the Casual View of Knowledge

When Do Objective Reasons Exist, Politically Speaking?

The Scope of Political Constructivism

Political Liberalism: Three Main Ideas

The Idea of an Overlapping Consensus

How is Political Liberalism Possible?

The Question of Stability Three Features of an Overlapping Consensus An Overlapping Consensus not Indifferent or Skeptical

A Political Conception Need Not Be Comprehensive Steps to Constitutional Consensus

Steps to Overlapping Consensus Conception and Doctrines: How Related

Priority of Right and Ideas of the Good

How a Political Conception Limits Conceptions of the Good Goodness as Rationality

Primary Goods and Interpersonal Comparisons Primary Goods as Citizens'

Need Permissible Conceptions of the Good and Political Virtues Is Justice as Fairness Fair to Conceptions of the Good?

The Good of Political Society

That Justice as Fairness is Complete

The Idea of Public Reason

The Question and Forums of Public Right Public Reason and the Ideal of Democratic Citizenship Nonpublic Reasons

The Content of Public Reason

The Ideal of Constitutional Essentials

The Supreme Court as Exemplar of Public Reason Apparent Difficulties with Public Reason

The Limits of Public Reason

Institutional Framework

The Basic Structure as Subject

First Subject of Justice Unity by Appropriate Sequence Libertarianism

Has No Special Role for the Basic Structure

The Importance of Background Justice

How the Basic Structure Affects Individuals Initial Agreement as Hypothetical and Nonhistorical

Special Features of the Initial Agreement

The Social Nature of Human Relationships Ideal Form for the Basic Structure

Reply to Hegel's Criticism

The Basic Liberties and Their Priority

The Initial Aim of Justice as Fairness

The Special Status of Basic Liberties Conceptions of Person and Social Cooperation

The Original Position Priority of Liberties, I: Second Moral Power Priority of Liberties, II: First Moral Power Basic

Liberties not Merely Formal

A Fully Adequate Scheme of Basic Liberties

How Liberties Fit into One Coherent Scheme Free Political Speech

The Clear and Present Danger Rule Maintaining the Fair Value of Political

Liberties Liberties Connected with the Second Principle

The Role of Justice as Fairness

Reply to Habermas

Two Main Differences Overlapping Consensus and Justification

Liberties of the Moderns Versus the Will of the People

The Roots of the Liberties Procedural Versus Substantive Justice

Conclusion

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