Subsidiarity as a normative political concept: contemporary and historical reflections

Abstract

Subsidiarity is a principle holding that final decision-making authority should presumptively belong to the candidate authority claimant ‘closest’ to the decision or those affected by or subject to that decision. The concept has a long historical pedigree and features prominently in numerous ongoing political, legal, and philosophical debates. However, the concept admits multiple interpretations. It is very difficult to specify and justify a distinct conception of subsidiarity that is capable of fulfilling the many roles it is asked to play in contemporary debates. It is more difficult still to develop a conception that also reflects historical uses of the term ‘subsidiarity.’ Recent scholarship offers several potential responses to these difficulties, though each presents its own challenges. The articles in this special issue help develop these lines of response. In so doing, they offer insights into a variety of related substantive and methodological issues in contemporary political philosophy. This introduction provides an overview of questions and challenges raised by subsidiarity as well as the articles that follow.

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ORCID for Michael Da Silva: orcid.org/0000-0002-7021-9847

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