Rawls' Theory of Justice: A Critical Appraisal of the Concept of Social Justice and Equality

Since ancient times in human history, the idea of justice has been present in society. However, it was developed adequately through the thinking of Socrates and many other Greek noble thinkers. In ancient times, the concept of justice was limited to the political sphere. Rawls was the first thinker to build his theory of justice based on social circumstances and the principle of the greatest good for the least advantaged. Through this concept of justice, he introduced an unconventional perspective, namely state welfarism and justice as fairness, expressing his concerns about human value and social justice. His idea of justice, however, was criticised by many liberal, communitarian, Marxist, and feminist thinkers from various perspectives. This paper aims to critically evaluate Rawls' theory of justice in the context of human values and social justice.