Toward a Theory of Solidarity

Authors: Arnsperger C.¹; Varoufakis Y.²

Source: Erkenntnis, Volume 59, Number 2, September 2003 , pp. 157-188(32)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Many types of `other-regarding' acts and beliefs cannot be accounted for satisfactorily as instances of sophisticated selfishness, altruism, team-reasoning, Kantian duty, kin selection etc. This paper argues in favour of re-inventing the notion of solidarity as an analytical category capable of shedding important new light on hitherto under-explained aspects of human motivation. Unlike altruism and natural sympathy (which turn the interests of specific others into one's own), or team-reasoning (which applies exclusively to members of some team), or Kantian duty (which demands universalisable principles of action), the essence of solidarity lies in the hypothesis that people are capable of responding sympathetically to (or empathising with) a condition afflicting `others', irrespectively of who those others are or whether one cares for them personally. And when that condition is a social artefact, we argue, solidarity turns radical.

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Chaire Hoover and FNRS Université Catholique de Louvain Belgium 2: Department of Economics University of Athens, Greece and University of Sydney, Australia

Publication date: 2003-09-01