Daniel Chandler, the research director at the London School of Economics and author of "Free and Equal: A Manifesto for a Just Society," explores the potential of John Rawls' ideas for creating a fairer society. He discusses the relevance of Rawlsian principles in addressing contemporary crises, emphasizing justice and equality through concepts like the 'veil of ignorance.' Chandler also examines universal basic income as a tool for enhancing social equity and reflects on the principles of cohesive capitalism, inviting listeners to envision a just society.

This week Daniel Chandler and Lea Ypi join David to talk about the legacy of the great American political philosopher John Rawls and his theory of justice. Did Rawls provide a prescription for the only fair way of doing capitalism? Or did he really show why capitalism and justice will never be reconciled? What can Rawls teach us about how to treat each other as equals? And does it even make sense to talk about justice in Britain or America when the world as a whole remains so fundamentally unequal?Daniel Chandler’s new book is Free and Equal: What Would a Fair Society Look Like? Lea Ypi’s Free: Coming of Age at the End of History is out now in paperback.You can hear David’s History of Ideas episode about Rawls and the theory of justice here.Sign up to LRB Close Readings:Directly in Apple: https://apple.co/3pJoFPqIn other podcast apps: lrb.supportingcast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Daniel Chandler discusses how societies can achieve both freedom and equality by following the principles of John Rawls. They explore the balance between individual freedoms and societal needs, the implications of history and philosophy on modern society, and the importance of universal principles over identity politics.