Union's inspiration: Universal health care and the essential partiality of solidarity

Bioethics 32 (9):569-576 (2018)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Solidarity is commonly invoked in the justification of public health care. This is understandable, as calls for and appeals to solidarity are effective in the mobilization of unison action and the willing- ness to incur sacrifices for others. However, the reference to solidarity as a moral notion requires caution, as there is no agreement on the meaning of solidarity. The article argues that the refer- ence to solidarity as a normative notion is relevant to health-related moral claims, but that it does not provide a convincing foundation of claims to universal health care. References to universal soli- darity obliterate an important distinction between those moral demands that are founded on principles like justice, recognition, or humanity, and those demands that stem from partisan rela- tions in communities. While there is no ‘separate essence’ of solidarity that could be referred to in order to argue for the conceptual necessity of solidarity’s partiality, some features may reasonably be stipulated as being essential to solidarity with a view to its systematic function within moral phi- losophy. The normative and motivational force of the ties invoked by solidarity is particularly relevant when basic moral demands are not met, and societies are in need of significant forms of communal relatedness.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 98,169

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Analytics

Added to PP
2018-05-09

Downloads
29 (#636,809)

6 months
8 (#472,057)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Simon Derpmann
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Citations of this work

Precision medicine and the fragmentation of solidarity (and justice).Leonard M. Fleck - 2022 - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 25 (2):191-206.
Redefining nursing solidarity.Marta Domingo-Osle & Rafael Domingo - 2022 - Nursing Ethics 29 (3):651-659.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references