Guiding Questions

• Can loneliness be a matter of justice, not just emotion?

• What happens when people are excluded from social life?

• Do we have a right to connection — or only to survival?

The Silent Epidemic

Loneliness is often seen as a private issue.

But millions of people — young and old — suffer from extreme social isolation.

This is more than sadness.

It can lead to:

• Depression, anxiety, and addiction

• Chronic illness and early death

• Radicalization and violence

• Despair, suicide, and societal breakdown

Loneliness is not just a feeling. It’s a public health crisis — and a justice issue.

Who Gets Left Out?

Some people are systematically excluded from full participation in society:

• The elderly in care homes

• Disabled individuals lacking accessibility

• Refugees far from home and family

• Formerly incarcerated people reentering society

• LGBTQ+ youth rejected by families

• Homeless individuals treated as invisible

Injustice is not only when rights are taken away — but when people are forgotten.

Philosophical Perspectives

Aristotle

Said that humans are political animals — we flourish only in community. Isolation, then, is a form of dehumanization.

Martin Buber

Taught that justice begins with recognizing the “Thou” in each person — not treating others as objects but as full beings.

Simone de Beauvoir

Warned that “the Other” is always vulnerable to exclusion. A just society must include those who are different.

Albert Camus

Believed rebellion begins not in hatred, but in a cry for dignity — “I am human too.” Loneliness is the first cry.

Two Perspectives

Loneliness as Personal Problem

Social connection is a private matter. People must take responsibility for building their own relationships.

Loneliness as Structural Injustice

Systemic barriers, stigma, and neglect isolate people. Justice demands social inclusion and belonging.

A Thought Experiment

Imagine a society where no one is physically harmed or economically deprived —

But everyone is alone. No friendships. No love. No recognition.

Is that a just society?

ustice Through Belonging

• Urban design that fosters community, not just traffic

• Social services that connect people, not just treat symptoms

• Universal access to public spaces, libraries, parks, and culture

• Anti-discrimination laws that protect marginalized identities

• Intergenerational programs to bridge youth and elders

• Community-building as public policy, not just charity

Reflect and Discuss

• Is the right to belong as important as the right to eat or speak?

• Can justice exist in a society where people feel invisible?

• What would it mean to build a society where no one is left out?

Suggested Readings

• Vivek Murthy – Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection

• Hannah Arendt – The Human Condition

• bell hooks – All About Love

• Jean Vanier – Community and Growth

• David Brooks – The Second Mountain