Rawls, John (Bordley) 1921-2002

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RAWLS, John (Bordley) 1921-2002


OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born February 21, 1921, in Baltimore, MD; died of heart failure November 24, 2002, in Lexington, MA. Philosopher, educator, and author. Rawls was an influential philosopher whose writings about the concept of justice in modern societies brought him to international attention with his first book, A Theory of Justice (1971). Rawls initially considered a career in the ministry, but after serving in the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II he decided to study philosophy at Princeton University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1950. After graduating, he taught at his alma mater for two years, moving on to Cornell University in 1953. After teaching as a visiting professor at Harvard University for a year, Rawls joined the faculty permanently in 1962. At Harvard he was John Cowles Professor from 1974 to 1979 and James B. Conant University Professor from 1979 until 1995, when a stroke prevented him from actively teaching. Rawls' A Theory of Justice is considered by many philosophers to be one of the most important books of the twentieth century. In it the author argued that instead of determining what merits social justice by considering only that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, a moral viewpoint should dictate that justice be meted out based on simple concepts of fairness alone. Echoing the work of social contract theorists such as John Locke, Rawls felt that all individuals within a society, whether they belong to a majority or minority group, deserve the same basic liberties. In short, all members of a society deserve to benefit from that society's concepts of liberty. Inequities are only justified if those who benefit most are doing so in the service of society; for example, physicians who earn high salaries might be justified in demanding a high income if their work benefits the poor and rich alike. Rawls' ideas created waves not only among his peers but also within courts and religious institutions throughout the United States. His book sold over 200,000 copies, a remarkable feat for an academic title. Although some pundits considered Rawls' theories too idealistic and utopian to be practical, his work had an impact on laws regarding civil rights. He continued to right about the philosophy of justice in such books as Political Liberalism (1996), The Law of Peoples; with, The Idea of Public Reason Revisited (1999), and Justice as Fairness: A Restatement (2001). For his work, Rawls was given many honors, including, most recently, the 1999 National Humanities Medal for his help in promoting the rights of women in the workplace.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:


books


Boyer, Paul S., editor, The Oxford Companion toUnited States History, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2001.

periodicals


Los Angeles Times, November 26, 2002, p. B10.

New York Times, November 26, 2002, p. C19.

Times (London, England), November 27, 2002, p. 32.

Washington Post, November 26, 2002, p. B7.

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Rawls, John (Bordley) 1921-2002

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