The Ethical Principles of John Rawls as a Tool for Social Justice and Peace in Contemporary Society

Abstract

A Theory of Justice, published in 1971, is one of the foundational works of political philosophy that offers a new perspective on the nature and ideals of social order. Rawls attempts to address the question of how an adequate notion of political fairness may be rooted in contemporary democratic society in his 1993 book Political Liberalism. Rawls contends that multiple religious, philosophical, and moral theories will unavoidably be adopted by individuals or groups in modern democratic societies where people are viewed as equal and free. Rawls also argues that most moral, philosophical, and religious opinions are legitimate and that society agrees that disputes may arise.