Saint Thomas Acquinas

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was an Italian theologian of the medieval era who was canonized in 1323. Aquinas based his theological arguments on the ideas of Aristotle. Rawls refers to Aquinas in a discussion of different theories about toleration of religious differences, asserting that Aquinas and the Protestant reformers believed that intolerance of other religions was "a matter of faith."

Aristotle

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) was the third of the three great Greek philosophers (the others being Plato and Socrates) whose ideas have immeasurably influenced Western thought. Rawls refers to Aristotle in terms of his definition of justice and his concept of perfection. Rawls coins the term "Aristotelian principle" to describe Aristotle's philosophy regarding the relationship between happiness, activity, and enjoyment.

Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) was an English philosopher and economist, known as the first and foremost proponent of utilitarianism. His major works include An Introduction to...