John Tomasi: Free market fairness

Excerpt

John Rawls argued that democratic citizens would rationally choose two principles of justice: one defending the value of political liberties and the other dedicated to making sure society works to the greatest benefits of the least well off. Almost fifty years later, the Rawlsian doctrine is still the orthodoxy in political philosophy. Alfred North Whitehead wrote that philosophy is a collection of footnotes to Plato. Similarly, contemporary political philosophy is largely a collection of footnotes to Rawls. In Free Market Fairness, John Tomasi is attempting to reform the Rawlsian orthodoxy as well as to evangelize to the non-believers. He is not overthrowing the old faith as reforming and extending it. He argues that political philosophy is divided into two main groups: the orthodox Rawlsians and the classical liberal and libertarian non-believers. Free Market Fairness is an attempt to make a case for why these two liberal camps should merge. Orthodox Rawlsians—high liberals (as he calls them)—should reform and accept the importance of economic liberties. Classical liberals and libertarians should accept the good news of social justice and come into the fold. …