I chiaroscuri della ragionevolezza

This article aims at focusing on the several meanings of the Rawlsian notion of reasonableness. In spite of the fact that Rawls himself takes this notion as vague and obscure, there is a broader meaning of it as the political virtue of citizens who are committed in a social cooperation on equal terms. Furthermore, reasonable citizens are persons who recognise the limits of practical reasoning, and who are aware of a structural incapability to publicly justify their comprehensive doctrines as true. Nevertheless, reasonableness shows inconsistencies, as many critics emphasize. I will proceed as follows: a) I will recapitulate the Rawlsian account of reasonableness; b) I will present some critics about this notion; c) I will discuss these critics in order to recall both the relevance of the Rawlsian political project and the undeniably unsuccessful outcomes.