Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity: The Relevance of Edward Bellamy's Utopia for Contemporary Political Theory

LIZÁRRAGA, FERNANDO ALBERTO

Utopian Studies

Penn State University Press

Lugar: University Park (PA); Año: 2021 vol. 3 p. 512 - 531

1045-991X

Contemporary political theories have made significant progress toward identifying the principles for an egalitarian society. From this perspective, Edward Bellamy´s radical and pluralistic egalitarianism can be read not only as a relevant precedent but as a source of sophisticated arguments capable of enriching current debates. Although unfairly overlooked as theoretical works, Bellamy´s utopias can be read today as offering insights that bring together and combine key modern ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Therefore, this article argues that Bellamy´s conception of equality involves several dimensions and functions as a background condition for effective (republican and liberal) freedoms; that these liberties are not at odds with voluntary equality; and that fraternity, understood in Rawlsian terms, makes sense in a free and equal society, as it is guaranteed both by institutional means and by personal decisions. Indizada en: Scopus, Arts&Humanities Citation Index, IBZ, MLA International Bibliography y Pubmed.