--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is often difficult to know about one's…" description: "\"It is often difficult to know about one's own era which philosophers in it will be remembered as the most important ones, but I think it is already cle..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/allen-w-wood-2748_century_it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one_1823076.jpg" --- # It is often difficult to know about one's own era which… ![“It is often difficult to know about one's own era which philosophers in it will be remembered as the most important ones, but I think it is already clear that John Rawls is the greatest moral philosopher of the twentieth century.” quote by Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/allen-w-wood-2748_century_it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one_1823076.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/allen-w-wood-2748_century_it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one_1823076.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/allen-w-wood-2748_century_it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one_1823076.jpg) > “It is often difficult to know about one's own era which philosophers in it will be remembered as the most important ones, but I think it is already clear that John Rawls is the greatest moral philosopher of the twentieth century.” [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author argues John Rawls stands as the preeminent moral philosopher of the 20th century, despite difficulty in judging eras **In simple terms:** Rawls is the top moral thinker of his century Key Takeaway Study Rawls’ theories for ethical insight Themes ethics philosophy legacy Mood analytical inquisitive Type academic intellectual When to use this quote - law - public policy - educational curricula Key Concepts justice political theory Questions to Reflect On - What criteria define philosophical greatness? - How do cultural contexts affect moral philosophy? A Different Perspective Philosophical rankings are subjective and contested ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Eras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eras/) [Greatest Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-moral-963364/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-philosopher-1915354/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosopher Twentieth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher-twentieth-2209452/) [Philosophers Remembered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers-remembered-2209451/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Rawls Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rawls-greatest-2209453/) [Remembered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembered/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Twentieth century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twentieth-century/) ## Related quotes > [In my acquaintance with John Rawls, I found him to be a simple and honest man, who just by chance also happened to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/in-my-acquaintance-with-john-rawls-i-found-him-to-be-a-simple-and/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [The ultimate destiny of the human race is the greatest moral perfection, provided that it is achieved through human freedom, whereby alone man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-ultimate-destiny-of-the-human-race-is-the-greatest-moral/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [The greatest moral leader of my lifetime was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose private life does not bear close examination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-greatest-moral-leader-of-my-lifetime-was-dr-martin-luther-king-jr/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [There is nothing so depressing as a constant contemplation of one's self, and the greatest moral cowardice in the world's opinion comes from consulting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-corelli/there-is-nothing-so-depressing-as-a-constant-contemplation-of-one-s/) [Marie Corelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-corelli/) > [Publicity, publicity, PUBLICITY is the greatest moral factor and force in our public life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pulitzer/publicity-publicity-publicity-is-the-greatest-moral-factor-and-force/) [Joseph Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pulitzer/) > [The greatest moral failing is to condemn something as a moral failing: no vice is worse than being judgmental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/the-greatest-moral-failing-is-to-condemn-something-as-a-moral-failing/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [“But no moral philosopher, from Aristotle to Aquinas, to John Locke and Adam Smith, divorced economics from a set of moral ends or held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-bell/but-no-moral-philosopher-from-aristotle-to-aquinas-to-john-locke-and/) [Daniel Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-bell/) > [I like the idea of being a postmodern moral philosopher - or perhaps a perverse moral philosopher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marshall/i-like-the-idea-of-being-a-postmodern-moral-philosopher-or-perhaps-a/) [Richard Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marshall/) > [The theologian considers sin mainly as an offence against God; the moral philosopher as contrary to reasonableness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/the-theologian-considers-sin-mainly-as-an-offence-against-god-the/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“There is nothing as dangerous as an economist who only knows economics except the moral philosopher who knows no economics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boettke/there-is-nothing-as-dangerous-as-an-economist-who-only-knows/) [Peter Boettke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boettke/) > [“The task of the moral philosopher-thinker is to support and strengthen the voice of human conscience, to recognize what is good or what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-task-of-the-moral-philosopher-thinker-is-to-support-and/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“I would argue that religion itself is a corruption.  Isn’t it good enough to look at Jesus as a dubiously historical moral philosopher that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-lugeons/i-would-argue-that-religion-itself-is-a-corruption-isn-t-it-good/) [Noah Lugeons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-lugeons/) > [Many people have written about the economic meaning of globalization; in One World Peter Singer explains its moral meaning. His position is carefully developed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-walzer/many-people-have-written-about-the-economic-meaning-of-globalization/) [Michael Walzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-walzer/) > [No justification of virtue will enable a man to be virtuous. Without the aid of trained emotions the intellect is powerless against the animal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-justification-of-virtue-will-enable-a-man-to-be-virtuous-without/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) ## More by Allen W. Wood > [For the utilitarian, there is a fact of the matter about the good (the general happiness, or whatever conception of the good the utilitarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/for-the-utilitarian-there-is-a-fact-of-the-matter-about-the-good-the/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [No theory about our bodies as mere objects of observation and calculation (as distinct from partners in communicative interaction, assumed to be free) can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/no-theory-about-our-bodies-as-mere-objects-of-observation-and/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Kantian ethical theory distinguishes three levels: First, that of a fundamental principle (the categorical imperative, formulated in three main ways in Kant's Groundwork); second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kantian-ethical-theory-distinguishes-three-levels-first-that-of-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Some empirical feelings, such as sympathy, are indispensable parts of certain moral virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/some-empirical-feelings-such-as-sympathy-are-indispensable-parts-of/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [We commit not only theoretical error but also moral wrong in objectifying ourselves or other rational beings, ignoring their capacities for free action and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/we-commit-not-only-theoretical-error-but-also-moral-wrong-in/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Kant certainly was sympathetic with the metaphysical tradition of rational theology that he criticized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kant-certainly-was-sympathetic-with-the-metaphysical-tradition-of/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [That Hegel's theory is derivative from Fichte's does not prevent it from being strikingly original and of independent value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/that-hegel-s-theory-is-derivative-from-fichte-s-does-not-prevent-it/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [It is sad to witness the persistence in our society of the racism and xenophobia that seems to be a permanent part of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-sad-to-witness-the-persistence-in-our-society-of-the-racism-and/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [It is rational to choose the right means to your ends to develop very elegant abstract formal theories of rational choice, and then turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-rational-to-choose-the-right-means-to-your-ends-to-develop-very/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [We can never prove that we are free or integrate our freedom in any way into our objective conception of the causal order of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/we-can-never-prove-that-we-are-free-or-integrate-our-freedom-in-any/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Kant regards the universalizability test for maxims as focused on a very special sort of situation: one where the agent is tempted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kant-regards-the-universalizability-test-for-maxims-as-focused-on-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [My own view is that Kant's conception of the duality of the good (morality and happiness, the good of our person and the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/my-own-view-is-that-kant-s-conception-of-the-duality-of-the-good/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [It is actually a nice question how far Descartes himself endorses the monological and metaphysically dualistic theory of mind associated with his name and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-actually-a-nice-question-how-far-descartes-himself-endorses-the/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [In fact people do not know enough about themselves and what is good for them to form a sufficiently definite conception of the general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/in-fact-people-do-not-know-enough-about-themselves-and-what-is-good/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Empiricist philosophy always tends to be anti-philosophy (and is often proud of it).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/empiricist-philosophy-always-tends-to-be-anti-philosophy-and-is-often/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) [Explore all 151 Allen W. Wood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) ## More Century quotes > [I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-always-that-i-am-an-outsider-a-stranger-in-this-century-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The poetry from the eighteenth century was prose; the prose from the seventeenth century was poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/the-poetry-from-the-eighteenth-century-was-prose-the-prose-from-the/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-nineteenth-century-lynching-mob-cuts-off-ears-toes-and-fingers/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [At no time in the past century has public distrust of the government been so broadly distributed across the political spectrum, as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-zimmermann/at-no-time-in-the-past-century-has-public-distrust-of-the-government/) [Phil Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-zimmermann/) > [While husbands and lovers in the stories are of all kinds, ranging from sympathetic to disgusting, women are invariably deceivers: inconstant, unscrupulous, quarrelsome, querulous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/while-husbands-and-lovers-in-the-stories-are-of-all-kinds-ranging/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [The wisdom of our actions in the first three years of peace will determine the course of world history for half a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/the-wisdom-of-our-actions-in-the-first-three-years-of-peace-will/) [Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/) > [For me, the melancholy of the late XXth Century is walking late at night by the Mont Blanc pen store and seeing these things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/for-me-the-melancholy-of-the-late-xxth-century-is-walking-late-at/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,406 Century quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is often difficult to know about one's own era which philosophers in it will be remembered as the most important ones, but I think it is already clear that John Rawls is the greatest moral philosopher of the twentieth century.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Allen W. Wood" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one-s-own-era-which-philosophers/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Century" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one-s-own-era-which-philosophers/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/allen-w-wood-2748_century_it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one_1823076.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/allen-w-wood-2748_century_it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one_1823076.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/allen-w-wood-2748_century_it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one_1823076.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is often difficult to know about one's own era which philosophers in it will be remembered as the most…” — Allen W. Wood", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Allen W. Wood", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is often difficult to know...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one-s-own-era-which-philosophers/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-often-difficult-to-know-about-one-s-own-era-which-philosophers/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```