A well-ordered society as a democratic community: alternative readings of Rawls' political theory

The standard reading of Rawls' political theory puts great emphasis on Rawls' liberalism and the primacy of basic liberties. The standard reading usually ignores Rawls' remark that he is trying to develop most appropriate moral basis for a democratic society. An alternative reading, offered in the article, tries to bring out the democratic elements in Rawls' thought and present Rawls' concern for social justice as an attempt to offer a plausible account of a democratic community and the preconditions for democratic legitimacy. Still, the alternative reading has to be carefully distinguished from the interpretation of Rawls offered by Richard Rorty who claims that Rawls is only articulating the liberal and democratic features of present day societies without ambitions to justify their practices and political culture. For the alternative democratic readings of Rawls it is crucial to understand the `problem of stability' and Rawls' solution to it. Reprinted by permission of Fakultet politickih znanosti u Zagrebu