Ethics & International Affairs Volume 14 (2000): Review Essays: John Rawls "The Law of Peoples" and International Political Theory [Abstract]

Dec 4, 2000

John Rawls is the most influential English-language political philosopher of the second half of the twentieth century — indeed, perhaps since John Stuart Mill. His influence rests partly on the very format of his masterwork, A Theory of Justice. But Theory is a flawed and incomplete masterpiece, and the "Rawls industry" that has developed around his work has been stimulated by these imperfections. Indeed, Rawls himself has corrected and elaborated upon his original formulations in a series of essays compiled in Political Liberalism and his recent Collected Papers. One of the most controversial features of Theory concerns its handling of international issues; Rawls turned to this question explicitly in an Amnesty International Lecture of 1993, "The Law of Peoples" (published in his Collected Papers), which he has now extended into a monograph with the same title. The latter is the main focus of this essay, which also includes a sketch of Rawls’s project as a whole as a necessary preliminary.

To read or purchase the full text of this article, click here.

You may also like

MAR 15, 2022 Journal

Ethics & International Affairs Volume 36.1 (Spring 2022)

The highlight of this issue is a roundtable organized by Jesse Kirkpatrick on moral injury, trauma, and war, featuring contributions by Jesse Kirkpatrick, Daniel Rothenberg, ...

AUG 27, 2021 Journal

Ethics & International Affairs Volume 35.2 (Summer 2021)

The highlight of this issue is a roundtable organized by Adrian Gallagher on the responsibility to protect in a changing world order. The roundtable contains ...

MAY 11, 2021 Journal

Ethics & International Affairs Volume 35.1 (Spring 2021)

The highlight of this issue is a roundtable organized by Madison Powers on ethics and the future of the global food system. The roundtable contains ...

Not translated

This content has not yet been translated into your language. You can request a translation by clicking the button below.

Request Translation