Fielding, Mark; (1996) Considering the radical critique of Rawls. Masters thesis (M.Phil), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

John Rawls' A Theory of Justice is the most influential development of liberal political philosophy in the last fifty years. Its influence is manifested as much in those who criticise the work as in those who endorse its project, and this thesis develops a view of Rawls in opposition to certain critics from the left of the political spectrum. The core of this thesis is an attempt to make sense of the relationship between the model of society developed by Rawls in his book, and the social and political condition in which we live. Presumably, the great interest the book attracts is in part because of the timeliness of the work, and yet just how the theory of justice guides us in our attempt to make a more just basic structure is elusive. Each of the critics examined here hold some view on this relationship and, by demonstrating the deficiencies in their understanding, we come to a rather more sophisticated appreciation of the problems which arise when attempting to make sense of the moral demands Rawls' theon' makes of the design of our basic institutions. The Communitarian critique of Rawls centres on a claim about the abstract nature of the self which is utilised in developing his theory In developing the argument against Rawls from the nature of the relationship between the well-ordered society and our own society, our critique centres upon the abstract nature of the society Rawls utilises in constiucting his theory. In this sense, our critique has certain parallels with that offered by the Communitarian critics.

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