preface

Chapter 1 Why should we discuss ‘justice’?
Chapter 2: Consideration for the Least Beneficiaries and a Just Society
Chapter 3 Justice as Fairness and the Two Principles of Justice
Chapter 4: Supplementary Discussion for a Deeper Reading of Theory of Justice
Chapter 5: Reactions to "A Theory of Justice" and the Practice of Justice

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With the two principles of ‘equal freedom’ and ‘differentiation’
A 20th-century masterpiece that laid the foundation for social justice!
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice

“Justice that forces sacrifice on the part of a few cannot be tolerated.”
Rawls' practical wisdom for overcoming the limits of inequality!

[Reader's Classic] John Rawls's A Theory of Justice: Principles for Creating a Fair World

“If truth is the first virtue of an ideological system, then justice is the first virtue of a social system.” John Rawls’s “A Theory of Justice,” first published in 1971 and translated into 26 languages ​​worldwide, was named one of Time magazine’s 100 best books of the 20th century.

John Rawls, who taught philosophy at Harvard University, is famous as a "single-subject philosopher" who delved into the problem of justice for decades.
After the publication of A Theory of Justice, British philosopher Stuart Hampshire called it “the most important and significant contribution to moral philosophy since the World War II,” and The New York Times praised the book’s implications, saying it “will change the very way we live.”
Yet, Rawls's A Theory of Justice remains a classic notorious for being difficult to understand for many scholars and beginners alike, and even in the United States, it is known for being a tedious read.

The 'Reader's Classic' series, 'John Rawls's A Theory of Justice: Principles for Building a Fair World', helps readers understand 'Theory of Justice', which is 'notoriously difficult and boring', more easily and accurately (the author of this book, Hwang Gyeong-sik, translated the first edition of 'Theory of Justice' in 1977, and after receiving direct instruction from John Rawls at Harvard University from 1980 to 1981, has long theoretically explored the problem of justice and put it into practice in reality).

There are two ways to approach Theory of Justice:
The first is an intuitive understanding that appeals to common sense.
The fundamentals of the Theory of Justice can be intuitively understood through methods of fairly distributing or repaying social assets and liabilities, and neutralizing natural and social luck.
The second is the argumentative approach, which connects the various intuitions presented in the previous intuitive approach to form arguments, and then connects those arguments to form an overall system and theory.
In this process, the essence and core of the Theory of Justice, which can be said to be 'priority consideration for the least advantaged', and the concept of justice consisting of the two principles of 'equal freedom' and 'differentiation', are revealed.
In other words, this is the image of a just society that Rolls envisioned.

Spoon theory, barrier society...
A society suffering from inequality and discrimination
Finding Practical Wisdom for a Just World in "Justice"

A few years ago, when Michael Sandel's "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?" was a national craze, many people questioned "justice in a society without justice."
Although much time has passed since then, the majority of citizens still feel the numerous inequalities and 'absence of justice' in various parts of South Korea and in their individual lives.
The conflict between classes and generations symbolized by the "spoon theory," the debate over the welfare state where liberalism and egalitarianism are sharply opposed, the "tilted playing field" where fair competition is impossible from the start, and the "walled society" where vested interests have built an iron fortress, all attest to the absence of justice.
While the primary goal of this book is to help readers understand Rawls's liberal equality and the core of A Theory of Justice in a simple and clear way, the author notes that A Theory of Justice "must ultimately be implemented, practiced, and realized" in our lives to be meaningful.
“No matter how elegant and coherent a theory may be, it is of no use if it is not put into practice.
Among philosophies, ethics is often called practical philosophy.
Among these, the discussion on justice, which seeks to save reality from injustice and unfairness, is an area in which practical implementation is even more urgent, and in this sense, it can be said to be of the greatest interest to the majority of citizens.” (p. 11)
Therefore, the author believes that 《Justice》 must be supplemented by virtue ethics, institutional reform, humanitarianism, and practical wisdom for practice.
“Scholars are busy justifying ‘justice,’ but in reality, after the theory is presented, what is more important is the work of motivation that can cultivate the will to put it into practice and develop capabilities.” (p. 139)
If you carefully follow the author's faithful commentary and explanation of "A Theory of Justice" and empathize with it, you will feel that "justice is putting aside the natural and social fortunes that each of us is born with and confirming that we belong together in a community of destiny," and that "the fortunate seek to consider the fate of even the most unlucky of those born." (p. 142) This ultimately means that the core of justice is connected to humanity and its roots.
As Rawls puts it, this book will help us get closer to the principles of a just world, based on “the thoughts and feelings that rational people can choose in the world.”


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Wisdom for Tomorrow from Great Classics
Leader's Classics series

The answer, which contained excellent insight, survived the test of time.
Immortal books that explore human life and change the world.
In modern times we call it a 'classic'.
Our task is not to cover all the classics.
It is about selecting the classics that you absolutely must know to cultivate the wisdom to see the world and solve given tasks, and then absorbing their nutrients as much as possible.
There are three main reasons why this series is called Leader's Classics.

First, the classics included in this series are at the top of the list of essential classics that leaders of nations, corporations, and organizations large and small must know.
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