Thematic Description

Poland was known for its Solidarity Movement in the 1980s. However, solidarity was not only the name of a trade union but had a rich cultural and religious heritage of the Polish people. It  is associated with the concept of fraternity, and hence understood not only conceptually but as a principle of action and cooperation. At the descriptive level, solidary is described as existing bonds connecting people, groups or communities. It exists in real times either in a family or a tribe. At the normative level it is used as a proposed model of relationships between social entities. It postulates a value functioning as a basis for relations among cooperating entities. Solidarity also implies the moral obligation or commitment to act. This moral dimension of solidarity serves as a criterion to distinguish between altruistic solidarity and self-seeking solidarity. Usually as a normative concept solidarity attracts the attention of contemporary criticism, especially from the liberal culture of the West founded on the principles of individualism and autonomy. Their principles have found their practical expression in the institution of the human rights and human autonomy. In contrast, solidarity founded in the social and moral context involving public good is linked to the concept of charity. When studying solidarity, the following questions raise: (1) What is the underlying basis of solidarity which determines the types of bonds? (2) What is the scope of solidarity in practice: the entire humanity, family, group, class, etc.? (3) What is the goal of solidarity-based actions which are supposed to accomplish? (4) What is the effect of collective identity on individual identity? (5) How to understand solidarity in our pluralistic world in these global times? (6) Is solidarity compatible with such notions of freedom, equality and human rights?

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