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2 Foundations for Transformation As we can see by examining the intellectual history of the concept of solidarity, while it has been used consistently by a variety of theorists, theologians, activists, and political leaders, a certain lack of theoretical attention has led to a wide range of usages that trend from the general and ephemeral evocation of solidarity as a feeling or sentiment to something as concrete and specific as a labor movement in Poland. Journalist Christopher Hayes has situated solidarity on a continuum that ranges from “pearl-clutching pity through sympathy and empathy to arrive finally at solidarity, wherein you are propelled to do something for your fellow human-beings, to act as if their interests were your own.”1 He defines the ends of the spectrum as ranging from the mundane (a kind of feel-good, “one-for-all, all-for-one-ness”) to the sublime (a “moral aspiration to realize the fundamental fellowship of humanity”).2 However, not all of the actions that people take, even actions that are intended to “help,” should be characterized as acts of solidarity. Hayes is accurate in identifying a continuum of emotions and behaviors as people respond to pressing issues of social justice in society. However, this continuum is not one of solidarity; rather, it is more accurate to think of it as a continuum of moral intuition. Moral intuition is a term that describes deeply felt reactions to moral situations that motivate people to action and moral reflection.3 Morality refers to human understanding about what is right and wrong. While moral norms are shaped by human culture, there do seem to be certain moral standards that resonate across cultures and historical time periods. The moral norm of social justice is a guiding moral norm in the Christian tradition that is also cross-cultural and transhistorical. From a theological perspective, social justice demonstrates a desire to structure society in ways that recognize and honor the intrinsic value of creation and reflect God’s concern for the well-being of all people and the created order. 33 Moral Habits All humans are moral agents who make a variety of moral decisions every day, almost without thinking. Driving the speed limit, recycling, and refraining from littering are all moral actions. Most people are taught moral practices and behaviors by their parents, teachers, or other mentors. Sometimes, particular moral actions are a result of a specific moral dilemma that prompted a person to make a conscious decision about their moral behavior—maybe their speeding caused a wreck, or their friends shoplifted in junior high school and wanted them to join in—at such a point, they were confronted with the necessity of making a conscious decision about their moral behavior. Regardless of whether these moral actions are the result of conscious moral decisions or ingrained virtuous behavior, people engage in so many moral acts every day that actions like driving the speed limit, recycling, and refraining from littering become moral habits that people enact on a daily basis. This means that people do not necessarily think about each of these decisions as they make them; these actions have simply become part of one’s daily routine. Nevertheless, these actions are moral actions in the sense that if people are asked to consciously think about them and argue whether it is right or wrong to speed, recycle, or litter, there is a readily identifiable consensus about the morally correct behavior in these circumstances. It is possible to shape and change these moral habits. For people who know that their moral habits are lax—for instance, they have a tendency to lie or to speed—it is possible to develop more virtuous habits and to integrate these behaviors into a daily routine. There are other people who are simply not aware that their actions are morally dubious, if not downright harmful. For these people, sometimes correcting their behavior is simply an issue of education. For example, if someone is raised in a household where littering is common or they have never been exposed to recycling, it is necessary to educate them about the harmful results of their actions in order to prompt them to participate in the moral norms of a particular society or community. Actions that fall within the category of moral habits are generally those that are fairly straightforward and are commonly accepted across society. Of course, even within these fairly clear-cut moral norms, there are certainly instances when it may be...

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