Robert Paul Wolff (December 27, 1933 – January 6, 2025) was an American political philosopher[1] and professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

[6] After interest in normative political philosophy resurged in the Anglo-American world upon the publication of John Rawls's A Theory of Justice, Wolff made pointed criticisms of it from a roughly Marxist perspective.

[7] Insofar as A Theory of Justice forecloses critiques of capitalist social relations, private property and the market economy, Wolff concluded that Rawls's project amounted to a form of apology for the status quo, since, according to Wolff, markets and capitalist social relations are founded on exploitation and injustice, and Rawls did not defend his theory against these charges.

[14] Since its creation, USSAS has assisted in providing funding and educational opportunities for thousands of students in South Africa.

[15] He maintained a blog, The Philosopher's Stone, where he discussed philosophy and political issues[15][16] and wrote an online autobiography in a series of posts.