Being Sure of Each Other: The Ethics and Politics of Sociability

Abstract: Humans are social creatures who need to live together to flourish. Yet, policymakers, legal scholars, and human rights theorists have given little attention to our interpersonal social needs, focusing instead on economic welfare. The resulting individualistic policy frameworks both erode social cohesion and harm vulnerable people such as immigrants, ethnic minorities, and aging people. To address real world problems of interpersonal social need, we must understand the nature and moral significance of isolation, social deprivation, and loneliness. This talk addresses some central issues in the ethics and politics of sociability. The talk specifies the nature of our need to belong; defends our core social human rights; challenges the liberal consensus on freedom of association; and reflects on the implications of taking social rights seriously.