Name: CAROLINA MATEDI BARREIRA
Publication date: 17/10/2023
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| BRUNELA VIEIRA DE VINCENZI | Examinador Interno |
| DELAMAR JOSÉ VOLPATO DUTRA | Examinador Externo |
| DENIS COITINHO SILVEIRA | Examinador Externo |
| MARCELO MARTINS BARREIRA | Examinador Interno |
| RICARDO CORREA DE ARAUJO | Presidente |
Summary: The work investigates the hypothesis of the existence of an implicit proposal of political
community in “Political Liberalism”, despite the rejection of this conception by the great
majority of the interpreters of the Rawlsian work and, even, by John Rawls himself. To
investigate this hypothesis, extensive bibliographical research was carried out on Rawls' main
works and publications, in chronological order, as well as on his main critics and interlocutors.
From this research, it was verified the central role of the conception of community in the
doctrine of “justice as equity” in “A Theory of Justice”. However, the chronological progression
of his publications suggested a later abandonment of this notion, given its incompatibility with
the fact of reasonable pluralism. However, through the analysis of the main elements of
“Political Liberalism”, it is possible to observe that the value of the community persists in his
work, albeit implicitly. Indeed, the notion of community as presented in “A Theory of Justice”,
based on a moral motivation that is articulated by the congruence between good and just, has
no space in “Political Liberalism”. However, through the inclusion of elements such as
overlapping consensus and public reason, it is feasible to envisage the possibility of a political
community, whose social unity does not find support in comprehensive doctrines, but in a wide
conception of justice and its public justification. Furthermore, this notion is indispensable to
provide a basis for the social cooperation of citizens in liberal societies deeply divided by
comprehensive doctrines, not only different, but also opposed. Finally, the purpose of this work
is to understand how people can be effectively motivated to endorse an ideal of a well-ordered
society, once it is considered the bases of self-respect and a sense of belonging.
KEYWORDS: John Rawls. Political Community. Communitarianism. Political Liberalism.
Overlapping Consensus.
