Philosophy · Similar reads
Books like A Theory of Justice
The best books like A Theory of Justice are The Republic, Democracy in America, and On Liberty. A Theory of Justice by John Rawls is about justice, fairness, political philosophy. If that's what drew you in, here are 12 books that share its DNA — each summarized on Superbook, and ready to chat with in the app.
- The Republic
01
Plato · Philosophy
The Republic is Plato's most ambitious work, a sustained inquiry into the nature of justice staged as a dialogue among Socrates and his companions in Athens.
Shares justice and political philosophy with A Theory of Justice.
Read the summary → - Democracy in America
02
Alexis de Tocqueville · History
Democracy in America, published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840, is Alexis de Tocqueville's analysis of the democratic experiment in the United States as a model for what was coming to Europe.
Both dig into equality.
Read the summary → - On Liberty
03
John Stuart Mill · Philosophy
On Liberty, published in 1859, is John Stuart Mill's defense of individual freedom against both governmental coercion and social pressure.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary →
- The Federalist Papers
04
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay · History
The Federalist Papers are a collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay between October 1787 and May 1788, under the collective pseudonym Publius.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
05
Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson · Economics
Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson argue that the fundamental difference between rich and poor countries is not geography, culture, or bad luck.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - Anarchy, State, and Utopia
06
Robert Nozick · Philosophy
Anarchy, State, and Utopia is Robert Nozick's 1974 response to John Rawls and a foundational text of libertarian political philosophy.
Shares justice and political philosophy with A Theory of Justice.
Read the summary → - Natural Right and History
07
Leo Strauss · Philosophy
Natural Right and History is Leo Strauss's sustained argument that the modern rejection of natural right — the idea that there is a standard of justice discoverable by reason, independent of convention and history — represents a profound intellectual and political crisis.
Shares justice and political philosophy with A Theory of Justice.
Read the summary → - Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
08
Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
Michael J. Sandel · Philosophy
Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
Both dig into justice.
Read the summary → - Leviathan
09
Thomas Hobbes · Philosophy
Leviathan, published in 1651 in the aftermath of the English Civil War, is one of the founding texts of modern political philosophy.
Both dig into social contract.
Read the summary → - The Divine Comedy: Inferno
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Dante Alighieri · Philosophy
The Inferno is the first of three canticles in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, written between approximately 1308 and 1320.
Both dig into justice.
Read the summary → - Utilitarianism
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John Stuart Mill · Philosophy
Utilitarianism, first published in 1863 after appearing in Fraser's Magazine the previous year, is Mill's defense and refinement of the utilitarian moral theory he inherited from Jeremy Bentham.
Both dig into justice.
Read the summary → - In Cold Blood
12
Truman Capote · Memoir
Truman Capote's account of the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas — and of the investigation, capture, trial, and execution of the killers Perry Smith and Richard Hickock — is the founding document of the true crime genre and one of the most admired works of American nonfiction of the twentieth century.
Both dig into justice.
Read the summary →
Books like A Theory of Justice: quick answers
What are the best books like A Theory of Justice?
The best books like A Theory of Justice by John Rawls are The Republic by Plato, Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, On Liberty by John Stuart Mill, The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with A Theory of Justice, such as justice, fairness, political philosophy.
What should I read after A Theory of Justice?
A natural next read after A Theory of Justice is The Republic by Plato. Shares justice and political philosophy with A Theory of Justice. Other strong choices are Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, On Liberty by John Stuart Mill, The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
What books are similar to A Theory of Justice by John Rawls?
A Theory of Justice centers on justice, fairness, political philosophy. Books with a similar feel include The Republic by Plato, Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, On Liberty by John Stuart Mill, The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.
