Member-only story
Why Fraternity Matters
In an increasingly connected yet increasingly divided world, fraternity may not be an old idea whose time has passed. It may be an old idea whose time has finally come.
We speak constantly about liberty and equality. We fight for freedom. We demand equal rights. We protest discrimination. We debate justice. But there is a third idea that often disappears from the conversation: fraternity.
The word may sound old-fashioned. It is sometimes translated simply as brotherhood, but that can make it seem narrower than it really is. Fraternity is not about being related by blood, belonging to the same religion, sharing a nationality, or even agreeing with one another.
At its heart, fraternity is the recognition that other human beings matter to us because they are human beings. It is the idea that a society cannot survive merely by giving individuals rights. People must also develop relationships of mutual respect, solidarity and concern.
The missing third pillar
The modern political vocabulary owes much to the French Revolution and its famous triad: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity (Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité)
The first two ideas became powerful political and legal principles. Liberty gave individuals freedom from arbitrary power. Equality challenged privilege and…
