About the Author

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John Rawls was one of the most influential political philosophers of the twentiethcentury.
A longtime professor at Harvard University, Rawls reshaped modern politicalphilosophy by reviving normative theories of justice at a time whenutilitarianism dominated Anglo-American thought.

His worktransformed debates on equality, liberty, and fairness across philosophy,economics, law, and public policy.
A Theory of Justice, first published in 1971, is widely regarded as oneof the most important works of political philosophy of the modern era andremains foundational in discussions of distributive justice and socialinstitutions.

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About the Book

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In A Theoryof Justice, Rawls presents a systematic framework for evaluating thefairness of social, political, and economic institutions.

He asks afoundational question: What principles of justice would rational individualschoose if they did not know their own position in society?
To answer this, Rawls introduces the thought experiment of the originalposition, in which individuals deliberate behind a veil of ignorance—unaware oftheir class, wealth, talents, or social status.

From this perspective,Rawls derives two principles of justice:equal basic liberties for all, and the requirement that social and economicinequalities are permissible only if they benefit the least advantagedmembers of society and are attached to positions open to all underconditions of fair equality of opportunity.

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Why Inequality Matters

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For Rawls,inequality is not inherently unjust—but it is always morally suspect.

Social andeconomic disparities must be justified by showing that they improve the lifeprospects of those worst off.
Market outcomes, talent, and inheritance do not carry moral authority on theirown; only institutions designed under fair principles can legitimize unequalresults.

By shiftingattention from outcomes to institutional design, Rawls reframes inequality as aproblem of justice rather than charity.
A society that tolerates inequality without moral justification, he argues,fails to treat its members as free and equal citizens.

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Why We Selected This Book

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The GlobalInequality Institute includes A Theory of Justice as a foundational textbecause it provides the moral architecture underlying contemporary debates oninequality.

Rawls remindsus that inequality is not merely an economic phenomenon, but a question oflegitimacy, fairness, and institutional responsibility.
His framework challenges societies to judge inequality not by efficiency alone,but by how they treat those with the least power.

This bookaligns with GII’s core conviction:
that inequality is not inevitable—it is a matter of design, and justice beginswith the principles we choose to govern ourselves.