Date of Birth: February 21, 1921
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Date of Death: November 24, 2002
Biography
John Bordley Rawls was an influential American philosopher and educator, best known for his work in moral and political philosophy. Born on February 21, 1921, in Baltimore, Maryland, Rawls is widely regarded as one of the most important political philosophers of the 20th century. His seminal work, “A Theory of Justice” (1971), introduced a new approach to the concepts of justice and fairness, emphasizing the idea of the “original position” and the “veil of ignorance” as tools for determining the principles of justice. Rawls attended Princeton University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1943. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he returned to Princeton and completed his Ph.D. in 1950. He then taught at several prestigious institutions, including Cornell University, MIT, and Harvard University, where he spent the majority of his career from 1962 until his retirement. Throughout his career, Rawls continued to refine and expand upon his theories. His later works, such as “Political Liberalism” (1993) and “The Law of Peoples” (1999), further solidified his reputation as a preeminent thinker in the field of political philosophy. Rawls passed away on November 24, 2002, leaving behind a lasting legacy that continues to shape contemporary debates on justice and political theory.
5 Interesting Facts about John Rawls
1. John Rawls served as a communications officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
2. His book “A Theory of Justice” has been translated into more than 27 languages.
3. Rawls was awarded the Schock Prize for Logic and Philosophy in 1999.
4. Despite his philosophical fame, Rawls was known for being a very private and modest individual.
5. Rawls suffered from a series of strokes in the 1990s, which significantly impacted his health and productivity in his later years.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from John Rawls
1. “Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought.”
2. “The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance.”
3. “A just society is a society that if you knew everything about it, you’d be willing to enter it in a random place.”
4. “Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override.”
5. “The sense of justice is continuous with the love of mankind.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
John Rawls’ highest net worth is not publicly documented, as he was primarily an academic and philosopher, not known for amassing wealth.
Children
John Rawls and his wife, Margaret Fox Rawls, had four children: Anne Rawls, Robert Rawls, Alexander Rawls, and Elizabeth Fox Rawls.
Relevant Links
2. [John Rawls – Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy](https://iep.utm.edu/rawls/
3. [A Theory of Justice – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Theory_of_Justice
4. [John Rawls – Harvard University](https://philosophy.fas.harvard.edu/people/john-rawls
