Essay on John Rawls’ Law of Peoples
John Rawls’ Perspective of Realistic Utopia: An Analysis
The purpose of this paper is to examine John Rawls concept of ‘realistic utopia’ and consider its main features. By carefully looking into the law of tolerance and how Rawls would seek to explain the process of achieving equality, trust building and acceptance of liberal peoples to decent peoples. Based from these insights, careful analysis shall also be made as to whether or not his perspective remains to be outdated and the criticisms concerning his view of utopia.
Utilizing the perspective of Rawls’ ‘realistic utopia’, he continues to assert the relevance of tolerance in enabling decent peoples to adhere and follow the liberal values and ideals. This means that despite the accumulated current political knowledge and historical hindsight about other non-liberal societies, he believes that the creation of the rules of tolerance continues to support the initiative of enabling states to participate and establish connections that would pave the way for the Laws of the People. Operating under 7.2 Need for Conception of Toleration, Rawls contends that “the guiding principle of liberal foreign policy is gradually to shape all not yet liberal societies in a liberal direction, until eventually (in the ideal case) all societies are liberal (60). Based on this quote, Rawls focuses not on actions that would induce compliance and appropriate responses from the decent peoples but rather on the singular objective as to why liberal societies engage in such act – to advance tolerance and find a middle ground where ideals and values illustrate relevance to the liberal views.
Dwelling further in the possibility of implementing rules of “tolerance”, Rawls goes back to the definition of toleration and how it can influence the ability of liberal societies to look beyond the transgressions and indiscretions of the decent peoples. Using the concept of equality, acceptance and willingness to engage in trust-building initiatives, Rawls believes this to be the main catalyst that reinforces the rules of tolerance that liberal states should seek to emulate and follow. According to Rawls, “provided a nonliberal society’s basic institutions meet certain specified conditions of political right and justice and lead its people to honor a reasonable and just law for the Society of Peoples, a liberal people is to tolerate and accept that society” (59-60).Using these rules, the decent peoples are then given the opportunity for representation and their voices heard. It is through this interaction that acceptance and respect is achieved.
Based from these assertions, it would seem to be unfair to judge Rawls’ theory to be outdated or impossible for states to follow. His argument concerning ‘realistic utopia’ recognizes the potential of this scenario to happen, particularly in enabling states to recognize their fundamental interests and exercise tolerance. On the other hand, it also remains to be utopian in mindset because it presents an ideal scenario on how people can possibly live in a just world. At the same time, Rawls’ perspective surrounding the necessity of tolerance remains to be evident on how international institutions and liberal ideals are applied within the international environment. The willingness of liberal and non-liberal states to participate in such group or association showcase an important viewpoint advocated by Rawl, especially in pursuing liberal values related to equality, acceptance and trust building.
Responding further to the essence of human nature to pursue vested interests, the idea promulgated by Rawls arguably focuses mainly on the liberal thinking. His perspective remains to be focused mainly on exploring this ideal theory and fails to examine connection of non-ideal theory in explaining how human beings act when they pursue their own objectives and gives rise to injustice and social evils. Given the inability of Rawls to further dwell on explicating the appropriate response to issues such as injustice, it puts forward challenges surrounding his theory, especially on the nature of how “well-ordered people” respond to out-law or burdened societies. Clearly, it is these evident realities happening in numerous societies clearly provide hindrance to the realization of Rawls ideas surrounding utopia and how it can be achieved.
Works Cited
Rawls, John. The Law of the Peoples: With, The Idea of Public Reason Revisited. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 2001. Print.