Understanding Solidarity Beyond Social Media
The former archbishop Rowan Williams explores the concept of solidarity, a term frequently used on social media but often challenging to genuinely embody.
Scrolling through social media, one often encounters expressions of “solidarity” with victims of injustice or cruelty. Such declarations feel more forceful than mere support or sympathy. As Williams argues, solidarity can function as
“a moral intensifier”, placing us firmly alongside those who suffer. It also serves as a statement of innocence, distancing ourselves from perpetrators and their wrongdoing.
Moving Past Simple Identification
Williams urges a deeper understanding of solidarity beyond unequivocal identification. He critiques the modern reliance on “empathy” as a universal solution, noting it often caters to
“a clamorous self” that “cannot bear the idea of a real stranger”. True solidarity, he contends, is less a cultivated virtue and more a human condition to be recognized. It demands acceptance of two persistent realities: first, that complete identification with another is impossible due to our inherent separateness in mind and body; second, that humans are intrinsically social beings connected by unseen bonds of obligation and reciprocity.
The Challenges and Labour of Solidarity
For Williams, solidarity is demanding work, requiring time and emotional effort to acknowledge others both in their distinctness and shared humanity. He critiques contemporary views of human rights as isolated individual entitlements or
“cheques to be cashed”, which risk becoming
“conflicting absolutes”. The ongoing debates surrounding free speech exemplify this tension. Williams suggests that the moral interdependence of humanity necessitates continuous dialogue where rights coexist with obligations. This process involves a dislodging of the self that can be unsettling. Drawing on Czech philosopher Jan Patočka, Williams calls for a
“solidarity of the shaken”, a profound human unity born from acknowledging our shared vulnerability and mutual dependence in an imperfect world.
Limited Practical Guidance but Emphasis on Ceremony
Williams offers few concrete prescriptions for achieving solidarity. He seldom examines how solidarity has manifested in practice within radical social movements such as feminism, anti-racism, or the trade union led by Lech Wałęsa that contributed to ending Soviet rule in Poland. His primary suggestion is that solidarity requires ceremonial expression—a public act of
“rebalancing”that allows us to perceive ourselves anew as collective beings. Examples include South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Michael Sheen’s 2011 street performance in Port Talbot. Mostly, Williams remains in scholarly territory, developing his ideas through careful analysis of other thinkers, especially 20th-century religious figures like Edith Stein, Józef Tischner, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Writing Style and Reader Engagement
Williams is a nuanced and insightful writer, though his prose can be dense and abstract. His frequent use of abstract nouns and qualified clauses results in complex sentences such as:
“Our action is made intelligible by the persistent hope of mutual intelligibility, even when it involves a recognition of the depth of existing misrecognitions.”
He attempts to guide readers with phrases like
“it is important to remain alert to”and
“the most salient point here is”, yet analogies and examples might have enhanced clarity. Williams is notably self-effacing; for instance, he remarks,
“The modern history of Christian struggles over gender and sexual identity is familiar enough, alas,”likely referencing his experience as archbishop of Canterbury navigating Anglican divisions over female priests and homosexuality, though he refrains from explicit commentary.
A Humane and Thoughtful Reflection on Solidarity
Despite stylistic challenges, the book is humane and uplifting, embodying the original, positive sense of being “woke,” a term Williams wisely avoids due to its dilution by critics. He concludes that solidarity should not reassure us of our own innocence but rather reveal how deeply implicated most people are in global injustices and inequalities. This awareness should not provoke self-centered guilt but instead highlight our shared, imperfect humanity. Williams invokes Joseph Conrad’s phrase describing solidarity as
“the subtle but invincible conviction of solidarity that knits together the loneliness of innumerable hearts.”
Solidarity: The Work of Recognition by Rowan Williams is published by Bloomsbury (£20). To support , order your copy at their website. Delivery charges may apply.
