Introduction

Abstract

The respective political philosophies of John Rawls and Robert Nozick are of major importance to contemporary thinkers. The ‘Bibliography’ at the end of this collection of papers helps to show how influential their respective theories of justice are. But their theories are also conflicting, in several important respects. Rawls is widely known as a proponent of what some refer to as the ‘welfare state’, while Nozick provides a theoretical foundation for what is often called the ‘libertarian’ position.