Tuğba Sevinç

Kadir Has University

Solidarity: A defense of its plurality

7 October 2025, 17h00 (Lisbon Time — GMT+1)

Sala Mattos Romão (Room C201.J – Department of Philosophy)

School of Arts and Humanities – University of Lisbon

Abstract

In this talk I will discuss two distinct accounts on the emergence and cultivation of solidarity: one emphasizing cooperation (harmonious solidarity) and the other highlighting adversity and joint struggle (antagonistic solidarity). In so doing, I challenge Andrea Sangiovanni’s recent attempt to develop a single, overarching definition of solidarity―as “a joint action against (some) significant adversity” (2024). Sangiovanni argues that all historically paradigmatic cases of solidarity, such as Bourgeois’ solidarism, Durkheim’s organic solidarity, nationalist solidarity, Christian solidarity, and the solidarity of social movements, have an “underlying unity” and can be translated into this basic antagonistic formula. While the philosophical endeavor of developing a unified framework for solidarity is captivating, I contend that we should embrace the diversity of solidarity since each account points out distinct possibilities and challenges calling for different strategies to create and foster solidarity. Thus, the paper highlights (and reconstructs) a significant strand in the history of solidarity literature that posits solidarity as emerging from cooperative actions and interactions among individuals and groups (Durkheim, the French Solidarists such as Léon Bourgeois and Alfred Fouillée, Hegel, Marx, Józef Tischner, and Rawls). Overall, my aim will be to challenge the prevailing emphasis on antagonistic theories of solidarity within recent scholarship and to bring forth the unique characteristics of cooperative (harmonious) approaches to solidarity.

This event is funded by Portuguese national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., within the project UID/00310, Centro de Filosofia da Universidade de Lisboa