John Rawls, Socialist?

John Rawls is remembered as one of the twentieth century’s preeminent liberal philosophers. But by the end of his life, he was sharply critical of capitalism.

How John Rawls Became the Liberal Philosopher of a Conservative Age

With his 1971 book A Theory Of Justice, John Rawls became the most influential political philosopher of his time — just as the liberal agenda he supported was retreating under conservative fire. A close look at Rawls can help us understand the fate of contemporary liberalism.

The Left Should Reclaim John Rawls’s Theory of Justice

Despite his towering academic reputation, John Rawls’s ideas have had little impact outside the university. That’s a shame: as the failures of neoliberalism have become increasingly stark, Rawls’s egalitarian theory of justice has much to recommend it.

Can John Rawls Save Democracy?

In Free and Equal, economist and philosopher Daniel Chandler argues that the ideas of John Rawls offer solutions to the crisis of liberal democracy. Jacobin spoke with Chandler to discuss how socialists should engage with Rawlsian politics.

John Rawls Was Wrong to Think We Could Have a Just Capitalism

The ideas of John Rawls, perhaps the greatest political philosopher of the 20th century, have much to teach the Left. But Rawls’s theory of justice failed to grapple adequately with the fundamental obstacles capitalism imposes to realizing a just society.

If You Like Democracy, You Should Oppose Capitalism

Liberal democracy gives us essential rights like free speech and civil liberties. But without challenging the domination of capital, liberal rights will always be curtailed by the power of the rich.

The Immortal Ghost of Karl Marx

Liberal critics would love to banish the specter of Karl Marx from political discourse. But his ghost will haunt them for as long as they refuse to confront Marxism’s central insight: the reality of class conflict.

Modern Liberalism Has Become a Defense of Hierarchy and Deference to Elites

As liberals defend their tradition from attack, their definition of liberalism has become so broad as to encompass everything and nothing at all. The truth is liberalism has become more about deference to elites than about challenging hierarchy.

No, Small Isn’t Beautiful

The power of big business needs to be confronted. But the solution to big business isn’t small business — it’s democratic socialism.

We Should Go Beyond Liberalism, Not Abandon It

The eminent philosopher Raymond Geuss wants us to think about ways of being that exist entirely outside of liberalism. But the most feasible egalitarian project is not one that rejects liberalism, but one that goes beyond it — through democratic socialism.

What Does Global Justice Look Like in the 21st Century?

In an interview with Jacobin, the political philosopher Philippe Van Parijs discusses the challenges of achieving global justice today, from winning an emancipatory basic income to accommodating mass migration to rich countries.

We Can’t Have a Fair Society Under Capitalism

Random chance governs far more of our lives than most of us are comfortable admitting. Fully appreciating the influence of luck on life chances should lead us to rethink our economic and political institutions from the bottom up.

Living Up to Liberal Commitments Means Confronting Capitalism

A new book argues that liberalism offers not just a set of institutional norms but a compelling way of thinking about human flourishing. To offer a complete account of the good life, liberalism needs to confront the structural injustices of capitalism.

How Analytic Philosophers Have Made Sense of Capitalism

Analytic philosophy, a branch of the discipline that emphasizes rigorous argumentation, is often dismissed as a set of abstract puzzle games. But analytic philosophers have reinterpreted Marxism to provide a radical critique of capitalist society.

Did Elites Really Take Over Identity Politics?

In his new book, Elite Capture, Olúfémi Táíwò argues that elites have hijacked identity politics — but what if it belonged to them all along?

No, Liberalism Hasn’t Buried Marxism

As liberal thought has evolved to address capitalism's flaws, some argue it has caught up with Marxism, rendering it irrelevant. Vivek Chibber argues that liberalism may diagnose capitalism’s injustices, but Marxism gives us the tools to overcome them.

Socialists Don’t Want to Destroy Liberalism. We Want to Go Beyond It.

Socialists’ goal isn’t to destroy liberalism, but to transcend its limitations — pairing civil liberties and other liberal rights with a democratic, egalitarian foundation that makes those rights real.

The Republican Philosophical Tradition Shows Why Free-Market Freedom Is a Farce

Buried for many decades by the dominance of liberal thought, the republican tradition of freedom as nondomination has been excavated in recent years. Democratic socialists should embrace it.

Liberalism’s Exclusions and Expansions

A review of Domenico Losurdo’s Liberalism: A Counter-History.

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