POLITIČKI LIBERALIZAM JOHNA RAWLSA
THE LIBERAL SOCIALISM OF JOHN RAWLS

Summary/Abstract: Conscious of the fact that, regrettably, Rawls is not well known in academic and wider circles in Bosnia, the author attempts to offer an introductory review of Rawls’ philosophical development. A fairly comprehensive context is outlined through a number of interesting details from Rawls’ biography, as well as the basic terminology developed in his philosophy, in particular in his Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism; a context within which, the author claims, any thinking with pretensions to relevancy in contemporary cultural and political studies would have to be developed. The author also offers a few hypotheses for a redirection of focus in reading Rawls and understanding liberalism in general. This redirection is Leftist. The author claims that now, more than ever, it is important to save Rawls’ liberalism from globalist Neoliberalism, by insisting on the significance of the Difference Principle, and on giving up the metaphysical grounding of liberalist doctrine. Rawls’ resolute turn from the metaphysical to the political sets plausible alternative contexts for postmodern politics at the turn of the century. Giving up foundationalist intentions confers the legitimacy of historical positioning and the possibility of a revision of political conceptions. This legitimacy has been repeatedly denied by current apologists of Neoliberalism, who essentialize Rawls’ insights into their obscure theories about “the end of history” and human development. On the other hand, the author raises a provocative question, in common with certain communitarian interpreters: is talk about civic virtue, so strongly advocated by Rawls, in fact talk about a desirable, valuable concept of the good life? In other words, is the concept of political liberalism also a concept of comprehensive doctrines – one of the most inclusive and open, but for all that a comprehensive doctrine? Even if it were so, the author claims, such an interpretation does not diminish the enormous emanicipatory power of Rawls’ thought.

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