Abstract

The article analyses the concept of individual virtues, which has been largely neglected in the debate on John Rawls’s thought. In particular, these virtues are related to self-respect, a fundamental psychological attitude of Rawlsian citizens. The flourishing of individual virtues is a key condition for self-respect to be able to spread effectively in a well-ordered society. What is more: by fostering the affirmation of self-respect, these virtues are seen to guarantee the presence of one of the essential prerequisites for such a society to first establish itself and subsequently endure over time.