The Concept of Solidarity

Abstract: Solidarity is a core value in egalitarian societies that aim at the preservation and expansion of generous systems of social security. In Western Europe, the need for strong forms of solidarity is not really controversial, although the precise architecture of the existing social security systems differs greatly among various states. Also, there is the awareness that these systems are again and again challenged by new sociological evolutions, by large scale immigration for example. Hence, they are continuously required to prove their legitimacy. By contrast, in the United States of America (USA), the electorate is deeply divided on the question of the necessity and the extent of solidarity. All this compels us Europeans to a deeper reflection on our most evident ethical and political commitments. The notion of solidarity belongs to our European heritage. Once upon a time, this was the third value of the French Revolution: Next to freedom and equality, there was fraternity. In this article, we will propose a definition of the concept of solidarity that is, to some extent, inspired by the ethics of David Hume and we will spell out its implications. We will justify this definition by comparing it to alternatives and we will indicate some threats of solidarity in contemporary wealthy societies. Finally, we will defend the necessity of strong forms of solidarity in actual societies.

Keywords: solidarity, insurance, individual responsibility, anonymity