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Document Details : Title: Discourse on the Foundations of Solidarity in the Social Encyclicals of John Paul II Author(s): NJOKU, Uzochukwu Jude Journal: Ethical Perspectives Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Date: March 2007 Pages: 79-97 DOI: 10.2143/EP.14.1.2021813 Abstract : This essay elucidates the theological and philosophical backgrounds of the ethics of solidarity in the thoughts of Pope John Paul II and expounds the basic hermeneutical conditions for its reappraisal in social ethics and contemporary debates. While it does not principally concern itself with defining solidarity (either in social ethics or in the writings of John Paul II), the question of its meaning is not completely ignored. This paper contributes to a better historico-critical understanding of the thoughts of John Paul II and an evaluation of his input to the development of Catholic social thought. This essay argues that the insights of John Paul’s ethics of solidarity are as relevant as they are insufficient in constituting an ethical framework in contemporary debates on international poverty, social welfare, social change and the effects of economic globalization. The author views the writings of Paul Ricoeur as enriching the perspectives of John Paul II. |
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