John Rawls

Contemporary Debate on John Rawls’s Political Concept of Human Rights. Selected Arguments and Positions

Mgr Jan TURLEJ

Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Kraków University of Economics

English abstract: In The Law of Peoples – published in Poland for the first time twenty years ago – John Rawls extended his theory of justice to the field of international relations. The philosopher developed the concept of the law of peoples, or the political concept of justice that applies to the norms and principles of international law and practice. As part of his concept, Rawls proposed a vision of human rights as rights that define the limits of state sovereignty. In the article, in addition to a synthetic overview of Rawls’s concept of human rights, I present selected critical arguments, formulated by John Tasioulas, Charles Beitz, James Nickel, Allen Buchanan, Martha Nussbaum, and Thomas Pogge. In the second part of the text, I discuss an attempt to defend Rawls’s views, proposed by David Reidy and Samuel Freeman. In conclusion, I summarize both lines of argument, presenting my own position.

Keywords: John Rawls, human rights, political concept of human rights, rights, state sovereignty

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(34)/2023, pp.72-86

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280//AFPiFS.2023.1.72

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Number of downloads: 282

This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

A Theory of Argumentation: The Case of Ethical, Political, and Utopian Thinking

Dr Łukasz Perlikowski

Lazarski University in Warsaw

English abstract: A relevant problem in political philosophy and political theory is the distinction between political and utopian arguments. The boundary between these two types of argumentation may be blurred, which leads us to the point when we often deal with contaminations of both ways of thinking in individual positions. This involves, for example, presenting a utopian argument as a political argument and vice versa. The main purpose of the article is to organize these issues by applying the argumentation model developed by Stephen Toulmin to the analysis of both theoretical approaches. The three main problems of this work are: 1) the distinction between political and ethical arguments; 2) identifying the proper structure of political argumentation; 3) evaluation of the coherence of the idea of a realistic utopia (proposed by John Rawls).

Keywords: political philosophy, theory of argumentation, Toulmin’s model, utopia, John Rawls, realistic utopia

Language: English

Published: Number 2(27)/2021, pp. 54-68.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2021.2.54

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Number of downloads: 385

This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

The justification system of John Rawls’s theory of justice

Mgr Wojciech Ciszewski

Jagiellonian University

English abstract: The paper considers a fundamental issue set against the backcloth of John Rawls’s theory of justice, namely the structure of its justification system. The issue is so significant, because justification fulfills a key role in the Rawlsian conception. J. Rawls offers a sophisticated system consisting of different arguments aimed at reaching full justification. In the author’s opinion, there are five elements that relate to each other: 1) original position with the idea of the veil of ignorance, 2) reflective equilibrium, 3) public reason, 4) overlapping consensus, and 5) fundamental constructivist ideas. The five above mentioned arguments seem to be based on four different argumentative strategies: 1) a coherentist strategy – referring to the general and internal coherence of the system; 2) a contractualist strategy – based on the notion of social contract; 3) a pragmatic strategy – referring to the connection with effective social practices; and 4) a constructivist strategy which is founded in the particular view of reasonableness. The justification system evolves from A Theory of Justice to Political Liberalism. However, though the system develops, it is always aimed at the same goal – to gather our considered beliefs and facts about a modern society into a coherent set of judgments which may claim to be valid.

Keywords: John Rawls, justice as fairness, veil of ignorance, original position

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(6)/2013, pp. 34-53.

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Number of downloads: 360

Some Remarks on Contractarian Justification of the Principles of Justice by John Rawls

Dr Paweł Polaczuk

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

English abstract: This paper addresses the issue of whether the justification concerning the principles of justice adopted by Rawls allows for modifying morally significant differentiations found in the basic social structure. The idea of basic social structure as understood by Rawls is explained, and the requirements for justification assumed by Rawls are characterized. Theses requirements are determined by intuitive beliefs concerning justice; whereas such beliefs stipulate certain factors as being morally significant. The analysis of Rawls’s argument indicates that his justification with respect to the principles of justice is based on the criterion of benefit. This leads to privileging these conditions which according to the intuitive beliefs concerning justice should not be privileged. The original position of social groups, however, is not included within the framework of the justification mechanism, and so it requires revaluation for the same reasons as the previously mentioned issue.

Keywords: John Rawls, theory of justice, basic social structure, requirements for justification (keywords supplied by the editors)

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(2)/2011, pp. 46-54.

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Number of downloads: 386

References:

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Geiger R., Merle J.-Ch., Scarano N. (red.), Modelle politischer Philosophie, Padeborn 2003.

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Polaczuk P., Sytuacja początkowa, w: B. Kruszewska, P. Polaczuk, L. Świto (red.), Sprawiedliwość. Wybrane koncepcje, Olsztyn 2010.

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