John Rawls is credited as being the most influential political philosopher of modern times. He is among a handful of contemporary intellectuals whose work, like that of Freud and Darwin, has become known beyond its specific and scientific field, becoming part of the general culture. The great lesson of Rawls consists in having indicated the principles of a just social order, capable of reconciling a life worth living with the needs of the wider community.

This is the first systematic introduction to his ideas, with a special focus on his three seminal works: A Theory of Justice, Political Liberalism and The Law of Peoples.