Free and equal What would a fair society look like?

A student of the philosopher John Rawls applies his ideas to a brand of politics capable of shaping a "good society." By London School of Economics professor Chandler's account, Rawls is "the towering figure of twentieth-century political thought." The principles that he promoted are thoroughly constructive, pointing to a liberalism that is not hidebound but instead "a broad and evolving intellectual and political tradition," accounting for other evolutions. Rawls' liberalism stands firm on cooperation, reciprocity, and fairness. Thinking through his philosophy, Chandler examines what are called "basic liberties," which include not just Bill of Rights guarantees but also "freedom of choice in questions of sexuality and reproduction" as well as what religion we might want to follow, if any, and what kind of work we might want to do. The central idea is that we may not impose our standards on others simply because they're our standards, instead respecting the views and practices of others. Citizenship in a good society requires the "duty of civility," which is to say an openness to difference and principled disagreement. Teaching this civility, Chandler adds, will require a rather thoroughgoing reorganization of education to make "every young person aware of their rights and freedoms, of how the political system works, and about the diversity of religious, moral and political beliefs in society." Of course, creating that education is going to cost money, which means raising taxes, and in particular taxes on the very wealthy--an opinion that wealthy individuals are likely to dispute, which introduces thorny questions of majority will. Thorny questions or no, Chandler brings good cheer and a positive outlook to the work of reshaping society, which marks an advance on the usual gloom and doom. A resounding endorsement of Rawls' philosophy and a complex recipe for something better than what we have now. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.