Dissertation

A Theory of Solidarity:

Devotion, Asymmetry, and Interdependence

I argue in my dissertation that solidarity is a unique and required practice for constituting self-determining political collectives and overcoming oppression, distinct from and superior to both ‘allyship’ and ‘distributive justice.’ Solidarity is an anti-hierarchical, devotion-driven practice grounded in material interdependence and shared moral understanding, capable of generating non-distributable goods essential for an ethical society.

Part I lays the critical foundation. In Chapter 1, I examine how the practices of solidarity and allyship diverge, despite both aiming to mitigate oppression. I argue that solidarity is the more advantageous route to overcoming oppression, as it avoids the reliance on loyalty (and, more broadly, partiality) and deference inherent in allyship. I then use Chapter 2 to argue against a common misconception: that solidarity, in its ideal form, requires symmetry or reciprocity. By arguing that solidarity’s foundation lies in the material interdependence of all political subjects, I demonstrate that it is not an interpersonal relationship but a personal commitment to the solidary group’s ends that arises from recognizing the shared, though asymmetric, stakes in a group’s cause.

Part II constructs a positive account of solidarity’s function and primacy. In Chapter 3, I argue that solidarity harnesses what Paul Katsafanas calls the human craving for devotion (Katsafanas 2023). Subjects in solidarity are devoted to the ends of their solidary group, and it is this devotion that motivates solidaric action despite personal risk. Explaining solidarity’s motivation through devotion affords a better understanding of how solidarity complicates the long-standing motivational paradigm of egoism vs altruism and provides a novel social-ontological model for understanding the relationship between individual commitment and shared agency. Finally, in Chapter 4, I argue that justice is parasitical upon prior solidaristic relations, as these relations of interdependence and devotion produce common goods necessary for even the pursuit of justice. Therefore, I conclude, the path to overcoming oppression and forging liberatory futures must begin with building solidarity.