Issue No.
58
July 2012
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| Welcome to July’s review of books |
 Tim Black
He may not have been widely recognised by the public, but, as Daniel Ben-Ami argues in this month's spiked review of books, a case could be made for John Rawls being the most influential political philosopher of the twentieth century. After all, Rawlsian ideas, though perhaps not known by name, have never been so popular among the political elite. Notional but ambiguous support for basic liberties, a commitment to 'fairness', a determination to ameliorate 'inequality'... all prevalent sentiments, and all traceable to the late Harvard professor. Yet, it's when these principles are implemented, argues Ben-Ami, that we see the problems: a denigration of economic growth and an excessive reliance on the state. We also have Nancy McDermott on the sequel to Prospect Park West, Nathalie Rothschild on an irreverent vision of Anne Frank in her dotage, Sarah Boyes on Terry Eagleton's latest attempt to define literature, plus much more. [Cover illustration by Jan Bowman.] |
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