Each person writes John Rawls possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the
welfare of society as a whole cannot override. Therefore in a just society the rights secured
by justice are not subject to political bargaining or to the calculus of social interests. In
this book Mr. Rawls attempts to account for these propositions which he believes express our
intuitive convictions of the primacy of justice. The principles of justice he sets forth are
those that free and rational persons would accept in an initial position of equality. In this
hypothetical situation which corresponds to the state of nature in social contract theory no
one knows his or her place in society his or her class position or social status his or her
fortune in the distribution of natural assets and abilities his or her intelligence strength
and the like or even his or her conception of the good. Thus deliberating behind a veil of
ignorance people determine their rights and duties. The first theoretical section of the
book addresses objections to the theory and alternative positions especially utilitarianism.
The author then applies his theory to the philosophical basis of the constitutional liberties
the problem of distributive justice and the definition of the ground and limits of political
duty and obligation. He includes here discussion of the issues of civil disobedience and
conscientious objection. Finally he connects the theory of justice with a doctrine of the good
and of moral development. This enables him to formulate a conception of society as a social
union of social unions and to use the theory of justice to explain the values of community.
Since the appearance ofthe book in 1971 A Theory of Justice has been translated into 23
languages. Revisions to the original English text have been included in translations since
1975. This new English edition incorporates all those revisions which the author considers to
be significant improvements especially to the discussions of liberty and primary goods. The
Preface for the Revised Edition discusses the revisions in some detail.
