Episode 220: Dr. Christopher Wolfe on the Political Philosophy of John Rawls (October 27, 2021)

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss political philosophy. We’ll introduce the work of the late John Rawls and offer a critical examination of his legacy. Their special and welcome guest is Christopher Wolfe. Prof. Wolfe is Distinguished Research Scholar at the University of Dallas and Emeritus Professor at Marquette University. He is the author of The Rise of Modern Judicial Review, Judicial Activism, and Natural Law Liberalism.

The following are among the questions we’ll ask.

1. Just who was John Rawls and why is he important?
2. Why was Rawls critical of the then-dominant utilitarianism when he wrote A Theory of Justice?
3. What is the difference between a comprehensive theory of justice and a limited political conception of it?
4. Could you state and explain Rawls’s two principles of justice?
5. How does Rawls make use of his “original position” thought experiment?
6. Could you explain his concept of public reason?
7. Why does Rawls reject the “Perfectionism” of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Ignatius of Loyola?
8. As a natural law thinker, what alternative to political liberalism do you suggest?
9. How attuned are Catholic intellectuals to Rawls’s challenges to a Christian worldview?