Revision

The results of an ongoing revision process are an important element of Rawls's writing style. Critics frequently comment on A Theory of Justice as the representation of an ongoing process of philosophical theorizing on the part of Rawls, which has taken place over the course of some forty years. A Theory of Justice, first published in 1971, is actually made up primarily of revised articles Rawls had previously published in academic journals, some going back as early as 1958. Thus, it has been observed that the development and refinement of his ideas between 1958-1971 can be traced within the text of a single book. Furthermore, Rawls significantly revisedA Theory of Justice in 1975, to prepare it for translation into other languages; however, these revisions were not incorporated into the English-language version of the text until 1999. Rawls points out that, until the 1999 edition, "the translated editions . . . have been superior to the...