The Theory of Justice Musical is the Nerdiest Thing You’ll See All Day

theory of justice rawls musical

First, Zizek gets his own operas, now this. “A Theory of Justice: The Musical” (ATOJTM, for short) had a brief run earlier this year in Oxford and a later revival in July, to rave reviews. Philosopher Nigel Warburton proclaimed “I cried with laughter for most of two hours. ”

In order to draw inspiration for his magnum opus, John Rawls travels back through time to converse (in song) with a colourful cast of political philosophers, including Plato, Locke, Rousseau and Mill. But the journey is not as smooth as he hoped: for as he pursues his love interest, the beautiful student Fairness, through history, he must escape the evil designs of his libertarian arch-nemesis, Robert Nozick, and the objectivist seductress, Ayn Rand. Will Rawls achieve his goal of defining Justice as Fairness? The world’s first feature-length musical about political philosophy showcases a script steeped in drama, humour and romance – with a musical score that covers everything from rap battles to power ballads.

Apparently, Marx is portrayed as a crazy homeless person.

You can pay to watch it on Vimeo, or read a synopsis on Wikipedia.