JOHN RAWLS’UN SİYASAL LİBERALİZMİNİN KANTÇI TEMELLERİ VE ‘TEMELSİZ’ BİR LİBERALİZMİN TUTARLILIĞI

Abstract

Rawls and his liberalism belongs to the social contract tradition. Rawls' social contract based on principles of justice which are behind the veil of ignorance in original position. These principles necessitated metaphysical foundations. In other words, without postulating the necessity of such metaphysical foundations, cogency of political liberalism will be reduced. In this context, if metaphysical foundations are unavoidable for liberalism, one question will become apparent: why of these foundations should be Kantian? This study will be a step for an answer. In this paper, the Kantian foundations of John Rawls’ justice conception and the necessity of these foundations in Rawls’ liberalism will be examined and discussed.