Reconceptualizing solidarity as power from below

Abstract

I propose a new concept of solidarity, which I call “solidarity from below,” that highlights an aspect of solidarity widely recognized in popular uses of the term, but which has hitherto been neglected in the philosophical literature. Solidarity from below is the collective ability of otherwise powerless people to organize themselves for transformative social change. I situate this concept with respect to four distinct but intertwined questions that have motivated extant theorizing about solidarity. I explain what it means to conceptualize solidarity from below as a form of power, rather than as a feeling, disposition, duty, or scheme of social arrangements. Finally, I suggest that the moral-relational aspects of solidarity emerge secondarily from the process of collective power, and not the other way around.

Social Change, Solidarity, and Mass Agency

“…2 The working class, here, is the mass agent that will enact transformative social change (the end of capitalism). 1 See Zheng (2022) for a helpful recent overview of the philosophy of social change. Critical theorists typically argue that transformative change is needed due to the existence of present injustice (see Celikates, 2006Celikates, , 2017Haslanger, 2017aHaslanger, , 2017bJaeggi, 2009Jaeggi, , 2015Shelby, 2002Shelby, , 2003Shelby, , 2014.…”

“…For recent discussions of solidarity, see Scholz (2008Scholz ( , 2015, Shelby (2009), Sangiovanni (2015), Kolers (2012Kolers ( , 2016, Zhao (2019), and Zheng (2023). robust group agent.…”

“…My view of group agency is compatible with the latter view of collective responsibility. 9 My definition is largely inspired by Zheng's (2022) discussion. My main disagreement is that she appears to require transformative to be global, while I believe it can be local.…”

A novel prognostic signature based on cuproptosis-related lncRNA mining in colorectal cancer

“…Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an exceptionally frequent illness worldwide. There are roughly 408,000 new cases with colorectal cancer and 196,000 deaths per year, ranking second in terms of incidence and fourth in terms of mortality ( Sung et al, 2021 ; Zheng, 2022 ). Since the early clinical indications of colorectal cancer are not apparent, the cancer is often medium and advanced stages detection.…”