Politics & Government · Political Theory
Justice
A topic within Political Theory, itself one of 13 topics in that field and part of Politics & Government.
Reading for Political Theory
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Assumes you know the vocabulary.
- BookThe PrinceNiccolò Machiavelli, 1532
Separates political effectiveness from moral goodness, describing how power is actually held rather than how it ought to be.
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Primary sources and full treatments.
- EssayThe Federalist PapersHamilton, Madison & Jay, 1788
Argues that factions are inevitable and must be channelled through structure rather than suppressed by virtue.
- BookA Theory of JusticeJohn Rawls, 1971
Principles chosen behind a veil of ignorance about your own position give the fairest available account of a just society.