Companion to Rawls C - (Blackwell Companions to Philosophy) by Jon Mandle & David A Reidy (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Wide ranging and up to date, this is the single most comprehensive treatment of the most influential political philosopher of the 20th century, John Rawls.

• An unprecedented survey that reflects the surge of Rawls scholarship since his death, and the lively debates that have emerged from his work
• Features an outstanding list of contributors, including senior as well as "next generation" Rawls scholars
• Provides careful, textually informed exegesis and well-developed critical commentary across all areas of his work, including non-Rawlsian perspectives
• Includes discussion of new material, covering Rawls's work from the newly published undergraduate thesis to the final writings on public reason and the law of peoples
• Covers Rawls's moral and political philosophy, his distinctive methodological commitments, and his relationships to the history of moral and political philosophy and to jurisprudence and the social sciences
• Includes discussion of his monumental 1971 book, A Theory of Justice, which is often credited as having revitalized political philosophy

From the Back Cover

There is little doubt that John Rawls was the preeminent English speaking political philosopher of the twentieth century. His monumental 1971 book, A Theory of Justice, is often credited with revitalizing political philosophy. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in publications on Rawls, but while the depth and significance of his work on social justice is generally acknowledged, the breadth of his contribution to philosophy is often neglected.

With the publication of A Brief Inquiry into the Meaning of Sin and Faith, Rawls's corpus now stands at eight books, comprising some 3,500 pages of text. A Companion to Rawls provides a comprehensive and up-to-date study of the totality of Rawls's work from informed, reliable, but diverse and sometimes critical perspectives. It is a "must-have" volume for students and scholars with a serious interest in Rawls's work.

Review Quotes

"An outstanding collection of 31 essays, this collection provides a wide range of material for those interested in Rawls, liberalism, and political philosophy in general. This is one of those volumes that every university library should own. Summing Up: Highly recommended." - Choice, October 2014


"The editors aim to produce "not so much a summary of past scholarly work as a serviceable roadmap for current and future work on Rawls" (1). It is a high ambition which raises high expectations which are, happily, lived up to." - Dialogue

"This Companion to Rawls is a rich collection of stimulating and critical essays, which provides us with more than a state of the art volume. The textual interpretations, contextual elucidations and illuminating connections with diverse disciplines invite the reader to explore new paths and perspectives. For students of (political) philosophy the volume will be more than a thorough introduction to the philosophy of Rawls. For well-grounded scholars, who are fully acquainted with Rawls's works, it will open up new insights and subtleties and offer them inspiration for future research. The Companion to Rawls is a welcome contribution to Rawls scholarship, which looks beyond A Theory of Justice and does justice to the versatility and ingenuity of Rawls's works and thoughts" - Dialogue

About the Author

Jon Mandle is Professor in the Philosophy Department at the University at Albany (SUNY). He has published two books on the work of John Rawls and one on global justice. His work engages in political philosophy, ethics, the philosophy of social science, and their histories.

David A. Reidy is Professor and Head in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee. He works in political and legal philosophy with special attention to the work of John Rawls and to issues of global justice and human rights. With Rex Martin he co-edited (and contributed to) a volume on Rawls's "The Law of Peoples" recognized by the American Library Association with a "Choice Award."