Is it Possible to Connect Recognition with a Post-Identitarian Notion of Solidarity?

Abstract

This article intends to confront the perspectives of Axel Honneth and Judith Butler on solidarity. Honneth emphasizes the role of identities and a notion of solidarity connected to cultural backgrounds, shared narratives and world images. Butler, on the other hand, fears that this form of solidarity, based on similitudes, might lead to social narcissism. She believes that it is possible to foster another kind of solidarity, one based on our shared vulnerability and on experiences that can make us recognize that we are not identical to ourselves. Investigating the tensions between these two very dissimilar points of view will help to explore possible connections between post-identitarian forms of solidarity and affects such as desire and mourning, which are frequently at stake in social struggles.