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The article examines the positive critique that Ricœur develops regarding Rawls’ A Theory of Justice. It highlights the specificity of this critique by contrasting with other, more radical criticisms, such as those from communitarians like Walzer, philosophers of recognition like Honneth, social choice theorists like Sen, or utilitarians like Harsanyi. Ricœur’s originality lies in considering Rawls’ analysis as one moment within a broader and dialectical approach to justice. The article demonstrates how Ricœur thus helps to bring out the internal tensions that contribute to the greatness of A Theory of Justice. In addition to Ricœur’s methodological, ethical, and epistemological arguments, the article adds a practical one. This argument concerns the paradox of distributive justice, which reflects the contradictions, at the heart of Rawlsian principles and their application, between the universal and the historical.