Twenty-five years on: to move forward, we should return to Rawls’ The Law of Peoples

Abstract

ABSTRACT In The Law of Peoples, John Rawls sets out his normative conception of global justice. The book remains a foundational text for scholars in the field. In recent years, however, new issues have arisen in the global justice literature, which Rawls did not consider. Moreover, his view has been rejected by many. So, as we move forward, does Rawls’ The Law of Peoples deserve to retain this foundational status? I argue that we have two weighty reasons to afford it this status. As we consider the future directions of global justice, we should do so by returning to The Law of Peoples.