This introduction to John Rawls (1921-2002), one of the most influential political philosophers of the twentieth century, provides an authoritative exposition of his central ideas and their contribution to contemporary political thought. The book contextualizes Rawls' thought by giving a sense of its historical development and explains the constant move between ethics and politics that is characteristic of his work. It questions whether Rawls' doctrine constitutes a theory of democracy despite its apparently more limited scope. It expores the complex relation between Rawls's views and utilitarianism. Later chapters examine his claim to reconcile liberty and equality, with detailed analysis of his two principles of justice and his most famous concept, the Original Position Device. Communitarian critiques challenge Rawl's theory of justice and the final chapters examine the less universalist ambitions of Rawls' Political Liberalism contrasting his theory of contemporary democracy with the ideas of Habermas and Charles Taylor.
