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Free and equal

£10.99

Despite the enormous problems we face and widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo, it’s surprisingly hard to find a coherent vision of what a better, fairer society would look like. ‘Free and Equal’ provides that vision. In this hugely ambitious and exhilarating debut, philosopher and economist Daniel Chandler argues that the ideas we need are hiding in plain sight, in the work of the twentieth century’s greatest political philosopher, John Rawls. Although they have revolutionised philosophy, his ideas have had little impact on politics – until now.

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Description

*A Waterstones, Financial Times and New Statesman Book of the Year*

‘A tremendous book, timely, wise, authoritative and clear’ Stephen Fry
‘A brilliantly eloquent, incredibly insightful reimagining of liberalism’ Owen Jones
‘Clear, brave, compelling’ David Miliband

‘Inspiring … impassioned … full of hope’ Zadie Smith
This is a fantastic book’ Thomas Piketty

Imagine: you are designing a society, but you don’t know who you’ll be within it – rich or poor, man or woman, gay or straight. What would you want that society to look like?

This is the revolutionary thought experiment proposed by the twentieth century’s greatest political philosopher, John Rawls. As economist and philosopher Daniel Chandler argues in this hugely ambitious and exhilarating intervention, it is by rediscovering Rawls that we can find a way out of the escalating crises that are devastating our world today.

Taking Rawls’s humane and egalitarian liberalism as his starting point, Chandler builds a careful and ultimately irresistible case for a progressive agenda that would fundamentally reshape our societies for the better. He shows how we can protect free speech and transcend the culture wars; get money out of politics; and create an economy where everyone has the chance to fulfil their potential, where prosperity is widely shared, and which operates within the limits of our finite planet.

This is a book brimming with hope and possibility – a galvanising alternative to the cynicism that pervades our politics. Free and Equal has the potential not only to transform contemporary debate, but to offer a touchstone for a modern, egalitarian liberalism for many years to come, cementing Rawls’s place in political discourse, and firmly establishing Chandler as a vital new voice for our time.

Read a sample here

Additional information

Weight 0.3 kg
Dimensions 19.6 × 12.8 × 2.4 cm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

416

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

320.011 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K