Solidarity in Ageing Societies. A Philosophical Overview

This contribution aims to provide philosophical support for social sciences and policies to address the problem of ageing populations in relation to social cohesion and solidarity. This is achieved through a basic conceptual analysis of the value of solidarity and how it can be a guiding principle in managing ageing society issues. It also requiresa very general mapping of the various societal levels involved in an ageing population, engaging with the problem of intergenerational solidarity. The scope of this paper is thus to provide a preliminary overview of approaching solidarity in ageing societies and deliver a justification for intergenerational solidarity. A key aspect is to clarify the relationship between intergenerational solidarity and intergenerational justice. The normative background of the latter purpose is the conception of solidarity as a social duty and collective response based on the recognition of ethical interdependence – in this case between generations.