Overview

This book discusses and applies John Rawls' theory of justice as fairness in order to clarify the account of citizenship that the theory relies upon, and the kind of educational policies that the state can legitimately pursue to support the development of good citizenship. Unlike many other applications or discussions of Rawls' work, a distinctive feature of the present book is that it offers a unified interpretation that combines Theory of Justice, Political Liberalism, The Law of Peoples and Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. This unified interpretation allows it to take Rawls' amendments to his earlier work into account without overlooking the core normative commitments that he endorsed early on and that continue in his later work. It thus offers an antidote to a common misinterpretation of Rawls' political turn that tends to water down the normative requirements of the two principles of justice in order to achieve a more feasible consensus on policy issues in actual societies.

Full Product Details

9780415877954

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Reviews

While contemporary philosophical work on the importance of education has often resorted to Rawls's theory to argue for one type or another of educational policy, most of it has done so by reading Rawls in a rather selective and piecemeal manner. Costa's aim, in contrast, is to develop an integrated and systematic exploration of the implications that the theory of 'justice as fairness' has for education for citizenship. ... Costa's book is a valuable addition to both Rawlsian and civic education scholarship. -- Mihaela Georgieva, Maastricht University, Journal of Applied Philosophy

Author Information

Victoria Costa is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Illinois State University.

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