2nd ed. Previous edition published in 1982.

Sandel traces the limits of liberalism to the conception of the person that underlies it, and argues for a deeper understanding of community than liberalism allows. Introduction: Liberalism and the Primacy of Justice

– 1. Justice and the Moral Subject. The Primacy of Justice and the Priority of the Self. Liberalism without Metaphysics: The Original Position. The Circumstances of Justice: Empiricist Objections. The Circumstances of Justice: Deontological Rejoinder. In Search of the Moral Subject. The Self and the Other: The Priority of Plurality. The Self and Its Ends: The Subject of Possession. Individualism and the Claims of Community

– 2. Possession, Desert, and Distributive Justice. Libertarianism to Egalitarianism. Meritocracy versus the Difference Principle. Defending Common Assets. The Basis of Desert. Individual and Social Claims: Who Owns What?

– 3. Contract Theory and Justification. The Morality of Contract. Contracts versus Contractarian Arguments. Liberalism and the Priority of Procedure. What Really Goes on behind the Veil of Ignorance

– 4. Justice and the Good. The Unity of the Self. The Case of Affirmative Action. Three Conceptions of Community. Agency and the Role of Reflection. Agency and the Role of Choice. The Status of the Good. The Moral Epistemology of Justice. Justice and Community

– Conclusion: Liberalism and the Limits of Justice

– A Response to Rawls' Political Liberalism.