Abstract

We all know that Superman stands for truth, justice, and the American way. To explore what kind of justice Superman should stand for, the chapter explores two alternate theories from contemporary political philosophy. On the one hand, according to libertarianism, justice means that the state should ensure that our personal liberty is protected. On the other hand, according to liberal egalitarianism, justice involves the state ensuring not only that individual rights are protected but also that there is a fair distribution of opportunity and resources among us. A popular alternative to libertarianism was provided by John Rawls, the most influential political philosopher in the last hundred years, in his famous book A Theory of Justice. Rawls gave us a way of answering that question and reaching conclusions about what fairness amounts to.