Justice in a pluralistic society - Basic questions in contemporary philosophical and theological ethics

Today's philosophical pluralism does not allow a natural rights vindication of justice anymore like suggested from the Protestant perspective, eg. Emil Brunner. Instead of an originally theological foundation of general ethics, there has to develop a universal ethics for a pluralistic society. Theological ethics has to be located within universal ethics. Important preconditions for this approach can be detected from John Rawls' new book "Political Liberalism". Rawls' use of ideals raises the question whether he really accomplishes his intention of a constructionist ethics. At this point the advancing suggestions of Onora O'Neill are introduced. Her suggestions display the possibility of a theological ethics with a universal horizon within pluralism.