A Thinking Reed

"Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed" – Blaise Pascal

Rawls’ religious roots

Try saying that three times fast! And then read this fascinating essay about philosopher John Rawls’ early writings on religion (which have only recently been published) and the continuity of the ideas expressed there with his mature (and completely secular) political philosophy. It seems that the young Rawls considered entering the priesthood of the Episcopal Church but lost his faith after his experiences in World War II. Nevertheless, based on this piece, Rawls’ earlier religious ideas–particularly a highly personalistic and communitarian understanding of Christian ethics–continued to have analogues in his later work.

2 responses to “Rawls’ religious roots”

  1. wow, thanks for this – will read soon.

  2. […] entering the priesthood) and his later moral and political philosophy that got a bunch of play over the weekend is really, really good – not quite “one of the best mid-length essays […]

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