In the third phase of his career, Solomon’s work increasingly turned toward questions of justice, integrity, and the role of philosophy in public life. A Passion for Justice (1990) marked a strong entry into social and political philosophy, emphasizing the emotional and moral foundations of justice. This concern with applied ethics developed further in Ethics and Excellence (1992), where Solomon advanced a virtue-based account of business ethics grounded in cooperation and integrity. His reflections on business life continued in The New World of Business (1993) and A Better Way to Think about Business (1999), where he resisted purely profit-driven models and argued for virtues as central to the moral legitimacy of enterprise.

At the same time, Solomon reached a broader audience through works designed to popularize and democratize philosophy. Entertaining Ideas (1992) collected two decades of his essays that brought philosophical reflection into conversation with everyday concerns. Up the University (1993) critiqued the state of higher education in America and proposed reforms for its renewal. Together with Kathleen Higgins, he authored A Short History of Philosophy (1996) and A Passion for Wisdom (1997), both aimed at making the philosophical tradition accessible to general readers. Their collaboration culminated in What Nietzsche Really Said (1999), which sought to dispel common misconceptions about Nietzsche and to present his philosophy as nuanced, systematic, and relevant.

This period reveals Solomon’s shift toward a more explicitly civic and pedagogical role: philosophy not only as theoretical inquiry but also as public engagement. His writings of the 1990s show a philosopher intent on linking justice, business, education, and history in ways that illuminate the practical and moral dimensions of contemporary life.