Liberalism Figures
John Rawls
Rawls became the defining liberal political philosopher of the late twentieth century.
Notable contribution
Reframed liberal political philosophy around fairness, equal basic liberties, and justice for the least advantaged.
Profile notes
- A Theory of Justice used the original position and veil of ignorance to model fair principles.
- He defended equal basic liberties and inequalities only under strict fairness conditions.
- Later debates over liberalism, communitarianism, equality, and pluralism often begin with Rawls.