Durkheim on Social Justice: The Argument from “Organic Solidarity”

This article reintroduces a long-forgotten argument into the debate about social justice: Durkheim's argument from “organic solidarity,” as presented in The Division of Labor in Society. “Organic solidarity” is solidarity based on differentiation. According to Durkheim, it grows out of the divi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American political science review 2018-02, Vol.112 (1), p.112-124
Main Author: HERZOG, LISA
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Debates
Differentiation
Distributive justice
Division of labor
Durkheim, Emile (1858-1917)
Equality
Ideology
Individualized Instruction
Inequality
Labor
Opportunities
Organizational Change
Philosophy
Political science
Prices
Role of Religion
Social cohesion
Social inequality
Social justice
Social perception
Society
Sociology
Spontaneity
Theory
Trust (Psychology)
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Summary:This article reintroduces a long-forgotten argument into the debate about social justice: Durkheim's argument from “organic solidarity,” as presented in The Division of Labor in Society. “Organic solidarity” is solidarity based on differentiation. According to Durkheim, it grows out of the division of labor, but only if the latter happens “spontaneously.” Social inequality creates obstacles to such spontaneity because it distorts prices, such that they are perceived as unjust, and it undermines equality of opportunity. Hence, Durkheim's argument connects commutative justice and distributive justice. The article argues that Durkheim's argument is plausible, interesting, and relevant for today. After presenting the argument, discussing its structure and methodology, and evaluating its plausibility by drawing on related contemporary debates, it focuses on the problem of the perception of social justice and the possibility of ideological distortions. It concludes by sketching the research program that follows from Durkheim's argument.
ISSN:0003-0554
1537-5943
DOI:10.1017/S000305541700048X