Ethics, politics and citizenship for a solidary Europe

Abstract

In «Ethics, politics and citizenship for a solidary Europe», Alberto Hidalgo Tuñón offers a critical examination of the idea of solidarity from the perspective of philosophical materialism and within the context of European integration. The author begins with the political difficulties facing the European Union, the challenges posed by immigration, and the crisis surrounding the European Constitutional Treaty in order to explore the meaning and foundations of solidarity. Through a historical and conceptual reconstruction, he analyses its roots in Roman law, its links with Christian charity, revolutionary fraternity, and the sociological theories of Durkheim and Weber. He also examines the different European welfare-state models and their implications for citizenship and social justice. Rejecting purely sentimental or voluntarist interpretations, Hidalgo argues that solidarity should be understood as a complex philosophical idea connected with political organisation, human rights, and the development of a form of citizenship capable of addressing the challenges of an increasingly plural and integrated Europe.