Liberalism and the Limits of JusticeA liberal society seeks not to impose a single way of life, but to leave its citizens as free as possible to choose their own values and ends. It therefore must govern by principles of justice that do not presuppose any particular vision of the good life. But can any such principles be found? And if not, what are the consequences for justice as a moral and political ideal? These are the questions Michael Sandel takes up in this penetrating critique of contemporary liberalism. Sandel locates modern liberalism in the tradition of Kant, and focuses on its most influential recent expression in the work of John Rawls. In the most important challenge yet to Rawls' theory of justice, Sandel traces the limits of liberalism to the conception of the person that underlies it, and argues for a deeper understanding of community than liberalism allows. |
Contents
Justice and the Moral Subject | |
Contract Theory and Justification | |
What ReallyGoes on behind the Veil ofIgnorance 4 Justice andtheGood The UnityoftheSelf The Case ofAffirmative Action Three Conceptions of Co... | |
Liberalism andtheLimitsof Justice Deontologys Liberating Project Character SelfKnowledgeandFriendship | |
Bibliography | |
Common terms and phrases
affirm agreement andthe antecedent arbitrariness argue argument asfairness assumptions asthe attributes benevolence bythe choice choose circumstances of justice claim common assets communitarian conception ofthe conceptionof constitutive contingencies contract cooperation deontological ethic depend desert desires difference principle distinction distributive justice doctrine Dworkin emphasis added ends entitled epistemological fromthe given human Ibid identity independent individual individualistic institutions inthe inthis isnot isthe John Rawls justice as fairness justiceis Kant Kant’s Kantian libertarian meritocracy meritocratic moral and religious moraland motivations mutual disinterest notion Nozick objection ofjustice ofthe original position onthe particular person plurality political liberalism presuppose primacy of justice principles of justice principlesof prior priority procedural justice public reason question rational Rawls reflective equilibrium retributive justice Ronald Dworkin selfknowledge selfunderstanding sense shared situation social subject of possession thatis thatthe thegood themoral theoriginal position theory of justice theoryof theperson theprinciples theright theself tobe tothe utilitarianism values virtue voluntarist