The points of issue
Cloth; copyright page dated 1971 with no later-printing statement (later printings are explicitly numbered, e.g. a 1973 fifth printing); first-state dust jacket priced and unclipped. Collation xv, 607 pages.
Is this the true first?
US Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge, Massachusetts), 1971, true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Numerous later printings exist, and the 1999 revised edition is 'first thus'; the 1971 first lacks any 'revised edition' statement or later-impression line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Theory of Justice a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Cloth; copyright page dated 1971 with no later-printing statement (later printings are explicitly numbered, e.g. a 1973 fifth printing); first-state dust jacket priced and unclipped. Collation xv, 607 pages.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge, Massachusetts), 1971, true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Numerous later printings exist, and the 1999 revised edition is 'first thus'; the 1971 first lacks any 'revised edition' statement or later-impression line.
I have a first edition of A Theory of Justice — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.