Rawls: `A Theory of Justice' and Its Critics (Key Contemporary Thinkers) [Paperback]

Chandran Kukathas (Author), Philip Pettit (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1990 | Series: Key Contemporary Thinkers

John Rawls' "A Theory of Justice" has been influential in philosophy, political theory, welfare economics and jurisprudence. This book is thought to be the first full-length study of Rawls' work. It provides a concise account of Rawls' central ideas, situates them within contemporary debates, and submits them to critical scrutiny. Kukathas and Petit discuss, among other things, the utilitarian orthodoxy and its problems; the emergence of majoritarian and other social choice alternatives; the contractarian synthesis and its policy implications; the notion of reflective equilibrium; and the various critiques of the contractarian view.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; 1 edition (October 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804717699
• ISBN-13: 978-0804717694
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #577,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cliff Notes, July 21, 2005

By 

Reader (Arlington, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Rawls: A Theory of Justice and Its Critics (Key Contemporary Thinkers) (Hardcover)

This short book outlines the argument of "A Theory of Justice," John Rawls' landmark book of political theory; it also considers the critical commentary that has swirled around Rawls' book since its publication in the 1970s. Strangely, more space is given to "communitarian" critics such as Michael Sandel than to libertarian philosopher Robert Nozick, who is usually treated as Rawls' intellectual nemesis. The authors write clearly and their discussion is fine as far as it goes; however, it doesn't go very far. The book is too short and sketchy to be of much value to anyone except absolute beginners in philosophy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars fair over-view, but not the best avaliable, January 29, 2006

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A Reader (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rawls: A Theory of Justice and Its Critics (Key Contemporary Thinkers) (Hardcover)

This book is not bad if you want a quick over-view of Rawls. It's very readable and not terribly unreliable. But, it is also fairly superficial (it's hard to see how it could not be, given how short it is) and does not go in to significant depth as to any aspect of Rawls. The transition from A Theory of Justice to Political Liberalism is, in particular, given too little space. If all you want is a quick over-view of Rawls you can do worse, but if you want either a serious introduction or commentary you should look elsewhere. Jon Mandle's _What's Left of Liberalism_, Samuel Freeman's _Rawls_ (in the Routledge Philosophers series) or the _Cambridge Companion to Rawls_ are better choices.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, September 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Rawls: A Theory of Justice and Its Critics (Key Contemporary Thinkers) (Hardcover)

Kukathas and Petit are extremly succesful in this book. Their analysis about Rawls' theory of justice is essential for those who want to understand the theory. The best moment of the book is the final chapter,in which the reader is able to compare Rawls'positions through the years.A must for Law and Philosophy students.