107950
Author: Daniel A. Dombrowski
File Type: pdf
To probe the underlying premises of a liberal political order, John Rawls felt obliged to use a philosophical method that abstracted from many of the details of ordinary life. But this very abstraction became a point of criticism, as it left unclear the implications of his theory for public policies and life in the real political world. Rawlsian Explorations in Religion and Applied Philosophy attempts to ferret out those implications, filling the gap between Rawlss own empyrean heights and the really practical public policy proposals made by government planners, lobbyists, and legislators. Among the topics examined are natural rights, the morality of war, the treatment of mentally deficient humans and nonhuman sentient creatures, the controversies over legacy and affirmative action in college admissions, and the place of religious belief in a democratic society. The final chapter explores how Rawlss own religious beliefs, as revealed in two works posthumously published in 2009, played into his formulation of his theory of justice. **Review Daniel Dombrowskis book is an important contribution to our understanding of the implications of Rawlss political theory for law, policy, politics, and religion. It uses justice as fairness to shed light on many issueswar, animal rights, affirmative action, and religious diversity in a democratic societythat 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 Rawlss theory is impressive. Moreover, the concrete positions that Dombrowski stakes outsupport for pacifism and animal rights, opposition to legacies and affirmative actionare 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 Rawlss 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 additionand makes a distinctive contributionto the literature on Rawls. Jon Mandle, University at Albany, SUNY This critical appreciation and application of John Rawlss 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 Dombrowskis 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. Dombrowskis explorations are informed by an expert knowledge of Rawlss texts, by the latest scholarship, and by his own deep acquaintance with process thought. Dombrowski is therefore able to extend and challenge Rawlss thought in original and provocative ways that thoughtful readers of Rawls will find most instructive. Paul Weithman, University of Notre Dame About the Author Daniel A. Dombrowski is Professor of Philosophy at Seattle University.
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