The Pandemic and Solidarity. Some Remarks

The 2020–2021 pandemic reshaped our reality. Social interactions had to be reduced to essentials, lifestyles and work routines transformed, and many businesses went bankrupt as a result. It felt, for a moment, as though the world had come to a halt. Everything changed — including, it seems, our understanding of solidarity. Does being in solidarity mean accepting restrictions, or, conversely, aligning with those who believe that restrictions infringe upon human freedom and dignity? Solidarity seems to be taking on new meanings. In times of crisis, is solidarity the voluntary imposition of restrictions on oneself to protect others, or a protest against such restrictions, rooted in the belief that human dignity demands freedom? Being part of a group always implies certain limitations for the sake of others, but the pandemic has imparted a new significance to this dynamic.