Rawls v. Nozick: Distributive Justice vs. Individual Rights

Rawls v. Nozick: Distributive Justice vs. Individual Rights

Spring (14 hrs or more) | This course has been canceled

New Course

4/6/2021-5/25/2021

2:30 PM-4:30 PM EDT on Tue

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$85.00

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In this course, we will review an epic battle that has been going on for more than 50 years: the magisterial argument for a developed state with detailed mutual obligations among citizens presented in John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice (1971) vs. the challenging libertarian vision of Robert Nozick in Anarchy, State and Utopia (1974), in each case as updated and refined by the author over the later course of his career. The fundamental questions addressed here are extremely broad:
What are the limits on state action?
Are there fundamental rights held by citizens which the state cannot abridge?
May the government redistribute wealth?
What is the role of government in the lives of citizens, e.g., equality of opportunity?

We will also take a look at how this debate has played out more recently, in terms of more current “libertarian” thinking and current Rawlsian thinking.

This will be an eight-week course with plenty of opportunity for discussion. Participants will be invited to make a class presentation on a topic of interest to the participant.

  • A Theory of Justice - John Rawls (ISBN-13:978-0226026756)
  • Anarchy, State and Utopia - Robert Nozick (ISBN-13: 978-0465051007)
Ronan, Joseph

Joseph Ronan is an attorney living in Sharon, Vermont with his wife, a retired neurologist who is now a visual artist and part-time ski instructor. Joseph was educated at Friends Select School in Philadelphia, has a BA in philosophy from Haverford College, a JD and LLM from NYU Law School, and an MA in English (thesis on Wallace Stevens) from Rutgers-Camden. He is now working on an MA in philosophy. He professes no special insight into Irish poetry, just a high degree of interest.