Rawlsian Explorations in Religion and Applied Philosophy by Daniel A Dombrowski

Rawlsian Explorations in Religion and Applied Philosophy by Daniel A Dombrowski

Explores the political philosophy of John Rawls in relation to public policy issues, including war, mental disability, nonhuman animals, legacy, and affirmative action. Pays special attention to the relationship of religion to these issues and to the processual characteristics of Rawls's method.

“Daniel Dombrowski’s book is an important contribution to our understanding of the implications of Rawls’s political theory for law, policy, politics, and religionIt uses justice as fairness to shed light on many issues—war, animal rights, affirmative action, and religious diversity in a democratic society—that have been relatively neglected in the literature on Rawls. Dombrowski brings to the task both analytic precision and a religious sensibility, and his ability to tease out the often hidden religious assumptions and implications of Rawls’s theory is impressive. Moreover, the concrete positions that Dombrowski stakes out—support for pacifism and animal rights, opposition to legacies and affirmative action—are controversial, especially from within a Rawlsian framework, and they should deservedly garner the book much scholarly attention.”

—Robert S. Taylor, University of California, Davis

“Despite the immense secondary literature on the work of John Rawls, there has been relatively little that aims to explore the application of his approach to more concrete issues. This is exactly what Dombrowksi provides, extending and applying justice as fairness in discussions of war, mental disability, animals, affirmative action, and religion. While sympathetic to Rawls’s basic approach, Dombrowksi does not shy away from criticizing some of his brief comments in these areas. He also engages productively with the work of Nicholas Wolterstorff, Michael Walzer, and Martha Nussbaum, among others. Consistent with the idea of reflective equilibrium, which Dombrowski discusses insightfully, the arguments that he constructs concerning these more concrete matters also have some important and surprising implications for the more abstract principles themselves. It is a very welcome addition—and makes a distinctive contribution—to the literature on Rawls.”

—Jon Mandle, University at Albany, SUNY

“This critical appreciation and application of John Rawls’s achievement is the more distinctive because political liberalism is here integrated with process metaphysics. Dombrowski is entirely familiar with the relevant literature defining both discussions and, in addition, with recent treatments of several vexing contemporary issues that focus these chapters, and his analyses are detailed and judicious throughout. The result, while recognizably Rawlsian, is thoroughly Dombrowski’s own and is a marked contribution to the conversation, both on political philosophy and on the difference philosophy makes to specific political problems.”

—Chris Gamwell, University of Chicago Divinity School

“In this clear and accessible book, Daniel Dombrowski brings the political philosophy of John Rawls to bear on a number of topics of great practical interest: war, disability, animal rights, legacy admissions, affirmative action, and religious belief. Dombrowski’s explorations are informed by an expert knowledge of Rawls’s texts, by the latest scholarship, and by his own deep acquaintance with process thought. Dombrowski is therefore able to extend and challenge Rawls’s thought in original and provocative ways that thoughtful readers of Rawls will find most instructive.”

—Paul Weithman, University of Notre Dame

Daniel A. Dombrowski is Professor of Philosophy at Seattle University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780271048741
ISBN 10	0271048743
Title	Rawlsian Explorations in Religion and Applied Philosophy
Author	Daniel A Dombrowski
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Pennsylvania State University Press
Year published	2016-05-15
Number of pages	160
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.