Can the Maximin Principle Serve as a Basis for Morality? A Critique of John Rawls’s Theory

John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice 1 is an important book. It is an attempt to develop a viable alternative to utilitarianism, which up to now in its various forms was virtually the only ethical theory proposing a reasonably clear, systematic, and purportedly rational concept of morality. I shall argue that Rawls’s attempt to suggest a viable alternative to utilitarianism does not succeed. Nevertheless, beyond any doubt, his book is a significant contribution to the ongoing debate on the nature of rational morality.