Free Republic

In his third State of the Union address last night, President Obama channeled the mantra of U.S. progressive groups by repeatedly calling for so-called economic fairness in America. Some progressives point to revolutionary socialist Karl Marx as divining economic theory that stresses “economic fairness.” Also, late Harvard professor John Rawls, one of the most important philosophers of liberalism in the twentieth century, named his own theory “justice as fairness.” Some have previously pointed to Rawls possible influence over Obama. Rawls calls for ensuring distributive justice of resources. The headlines in scores of U.S. newspapers and news websites today stress the...

John Rawls, influential political philosopher, dead at 81: Author of "A Theory of Justice" was James Bryant Conant University Professor Emeritus By Ken Gewertz Gazette Staff John Rawls, the James Bryant Conant University Professor Emeritus, whose 1971 book, "A Theory of Justice" argued persuasively for a political philosophy based on equality and individual rights, died Sunday (Nov. 24) at the age of 81. Rawls is considered by many to be the most important political philosopher of the second half of the 20th century and a powerful advocate of the liberal perspective. His work continues to be a major influence in...