ABSTRACT
In his book A Theory of Justice published in 1971, John Rawls associates his difference principle with the concept of fraternity, drawing attention to the revolutionary tripartite motto of 1789, “liberty, equality, fraternity.” Through the difference principle, Rawls attempts to think rationally about fraternity, seeing it as something intrinsic to political processes, rather than external to them. The author traces the evolution of this reasoning, also including in the analysis references to two other important Rawlsian works, Political Liberalism and The Law of Peoples. In this investigation, the crucial features of the ‘indirect’ treatment of the principle of fraternity developed by Rawls are brought to light, even if ultimately it is concluded that the philosopher does not provide fraternity with an adequate theoretical foundation.
