John Rawls (1921-2002) was already a classic during his lifetime. His Theory of Justice from 1971 is the most densely argued contribution to this topic in the history of practical philosophy. In this introduction, Wolfgang Kersting provides an overview of the main currents of contemporary political philosophy encouraged by Rawls - libertarianism, communitarianism, and egalitarian liberalism - and describes the development of Rawls' own thinking. Among other topics, Rawls' developed conception of international law and his relationship to the justice philosophy of egalitarian liberalism are discussed.