Bayanihan. http://mattersmost.deviantart.com
– Rev José Mario O Mandía
Last time we spoke about the third principle — subsidiarity. Today, we will take a look at its complementary principle: the principle of solidarity. We could say that in the same way that the principle of subsidiarity arises from human dignity (the first principle), the principle of solidarity arises from the need for everyone to strive for the common good (the second principle).
In an orchestra, the conductor has to let each one play, but each one has to play in coordination with the others. Otherwise, the orchestra will not produce a symphony but a cacophony. Aside from subsidiarity, we need solidarity. When both principles are applied correctly, the rights of individuals and the good of society at large are protected and promoted. A right balance is achieved between the centripetal and centrifugal forces in society.
The principle of subsidiarity forestalls excessive and unnecessary centralization and concentration of powers and initiatives, whether it be in the the family, a company, an institution, a nation, or the global village. In a nation, it prevents the rise of tyranny and collectivism which are characteristics of a socialist state. It fosters initiative, creativity, and the growth of both the individual and the collective.
The principle of solidarity, on the other hand, averts the rise of anarchy, individualism, liberalism, and injustices (such as neglect of or prejudice against the minority). St John Paul II wrote that solidarity “is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all” (Encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis, 38).
The principle of solidarity can also be called the principle of friendship or of charity or of cooperation. There is a need for individuals or groups to work together because there are tasks that exceed the capacity of a single individual or a smaller group. The recent rescue of the young football players in Thailand is a concrete example of what can be achieved when international solidarity is put to work.
Technology has made the world smaller, and there is a greater awareness that nations cannot ignore one another in their quest for peace and prosperity. To quote St John Paul II once more: “At the same time, in a world divided and beset by every type of conflict, the conviction is growing of a radical interdependence and consequently of the need for a solidarity which will take up interdependence and transfer it to the moral plane. Today perhaps more than in the past, people are realizing that they are linked together by a common destiny, which is to be constructed together, if catastrophe for all is to be avoided. From the depth of anguish, fear and escapist phenomena like drugs, typical of the contemporary world, the idea is slowly emerging that the good to which we are all called and the happiness to which we aspire cannot be obtained without an effort and commitment on the part of all, nobody excluded, and the consequent renouncing of personal selfishness” (Sollicitudo rei socialis 26).
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