Rawls, John

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 the study of political thought in Anglo-American philosophy, and has been a landmark for all subsequent discussion. In it Rawls considers the basic institutions of a society that could be chosen by rational people under conditions that ensure impartiality. These conditions are dramatized as an original position, characterized so that it is as if the participants are contracting into a basic social structure from behind a veil of ignorance, leaving them unable to deploy selfish considerations, or ones favouring particular kinds of person. Rawls argues that both a basic framework of liberties and a concern for the least well-off would characterize any society which it would be rational to choose. For further details see difference principle, original position.

Philosophy dictionary. . 2011.

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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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