Free and Equal: Rawls Theory of Justice and Political Reform

The ideas of John Rawls have revolutionized the shape and content of much of contemporary political and social philosophy. His A Theory of Justice (1971) and Political Liberalism, (1993) among other works, have contributed a rich source of ideas which continue to influence contemporary discussions about justice and politics. Although there has been a massive amount of literature on the political philosophy of Rawls, there has not been any in depth study focused on the implications of the ideas of Rawls for contemporary existing democracies. Drawing on some of his earlier work, the author offers an in depth exploration of how Rawlsian ideas impact the basic elements of Western democracies and the US Constitution and the needed changes that would be necessary to make modern democracies more consistent with the basic values of liberal equality as understood by Rawls. The ideas of justice, equality, fairness, liberty, public reason, stability, the rule of law and some other related concepts are the bases of the analyses of the constitution and suggestions for reform defended here.