Why Solidarity and Social Justice Still Matter Today

Abstract

In this chapter, we introduce an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the contested nature of solidarity and social justice. We first define central concepts of the book: social inequality, solidarity, and social justice, and consider the fundamental question of where self-transcending motives come from. Subsequently, we outline this edited volume, focusing on: providing the theoretical foundation needed to study social inequality, solidarity and social justice from an interdisciplinary perspective (sociological, psychological, and political philosophical; (Section II)); and highlighting empirically concrete cases along fault lines visible in society today, including gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status (Section III). Lastly, we outline Section IV: solidarity and social justice in relation to three contemporary global societal challenges: migration, sustainability, and the digitalization of public services.