Legal Theory Bookworm
The Legal Theory Bookworm recommends Political Liberalism by John Rawls. Rawls was the greatest political philosopher of the twentieth century, and this book summarizes his mature thought–providing systematic statements of many important ideas, includ “overlapping consensus,” “the fact of pluralism,” “political constructivism,” and “public reason.” It belongs in the library of every serious legal theorist. If you don’t already own a copy, buy the most recent paperback edition. (This book comes in three different versions–with slightly different content in each one.). Here is a blurb:
- With the publication of his first book, A Theory of Justice ( LJ 4/1/72), Harvard philosopher Rawls catapulted himself into the first rank of contemporary political philosophers. His difficult and rewarding book offered an ingenious defense of the “social contract” as binding society together in the interests of not only justice but fairness. With Political Liberalism , his second book, Rawls responds to his critics by confronting the dilemmas inherent in developing a liberal theory of the good society that acknowledges cultural diversity and ethical pluralism. His approach is to “describe the steps whereby a constitutional consensus on certain principles of basic political rights and liberties and on democratic procedures become an overlapping consensus.” Not all readers will be satisfied by his solution, but they will be dazzled by his clarity of purpose and logic. Highly recommended for academic libraries.
– Kent Worcester, Social Science Research Council, New York
Although Political Liberalism is controversial, I think this is a mangificient achievement. Rawls’s mature thought introduced important new ideas that will have the kind of enduring value that is truly rare in even the best philosophical work. “Highly recommneded” doesn’t begin to express by admiration for the book.