Solidarity, Universal Unfreedom, and You

Abstract

What should be our main reason for resisting oppression? In answer, chapter 9 argues that the universal unfreedom caused by oppression should be that reason, because we should seek a reason that will maximally appeal to the oppression’s non-victims, inducing them to resist and challenge it. For robust solidarity among a critical mass of the victims, the bystanders, and the perpetrators is necessary for abolishing systematic injustice and thus also for ending universal unfreedom. And because of the suspicion and mistrust that are likely to obtain in such a mixed resistance, we need a reason for challenging injustice that describes a shared harm the injustice does them all. The reason is that only a sense of such a shared harm could underwrite the robust and mutual solidarity needed to abolish oppression. Hence those non-victims who join in such solidarity are not allies but rather fellows who are also harmed: they are the scathed.