Rawls Dewey And Constructivism

In Rawls, Dewey and Constructivism, Eric Weber examines and critiques John Rawls' epistemology and the unresolved tension - inherited from Kant - between Representationalism and Constructivism in Rawls' work. Weber argues that, despite Rawls' claims to be a constructivist, his unexplored Kantian influences cause several problems.

In particular, Weber criticises Rawls' failure to explain the origins of conceptions of justice, his understanding of persons and his revival of Social Contract Theory. Drawing on the work of John Dewey to resolve these problems, the book argues for a rigorously constructivist approach to the concept of justice and explores the practical implications of such an approach for Education.

Review: Eric Thomas Weber's comparative study identifies a deep Kantian tension between constructivism and representationalism in Rawls. His well informed, very clear and persuasive critique of Rawls highlights the many resources of Dewey's constructivism and constructivist epistemology for democratic political philosophy. - Tom Rockmore, Duquesne University, USA