Equality, liberty, and fraternity: The relevance of edward bellamy’s utopia for contemporary political theory

Abstract

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.