John Rawls Book summary

 

John Rawls was an American philosopher and political theorist. He is often referred to as the most influential philosopher of the 20th century. Rawls had the distinction of being cited often in the courts of Northern America, which is perhaps one of the reasons he earned the aforementioned title. Rawls was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1921 and studied at Princeton University and Oxford University before earning his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1950. He taught at several universities throughout his career, including Cornell, MIT, and Harvard. Rawls tragically suffered the loss of two of his younger brothers before the age of 10. Both of these deaths weighed heavily on him, as both his brothers died from illnesses that they had contracted from him.

Rawls's work has had a significant influence on political philosophy and the social contract tradition. During the Clinton presidency, Rawls was often called upon by the sitting president to weigh in on important matters of state policy. He passed away in 2002.