Journal of Jishou University(Social Sciences Edition) ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (4): 120-129.DOI: 10.13438/j.cnki.jdxb.2026.04.013

• Sociology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Possibility of Social Solidarity in the Era of Digital Intelligence

Liu Chang   

  1. (School of Philosophy,Wuhan University,Wuhan 430072,Hubei China)
  • Online:2026-07-01 Published:2026-07-17

Abstract: As digital and intelligent technologies permeate all aspects of social life,machines are undergoing a transition from instrumental entities to quasi-agents that co-shape social order with human beings.In agricultural societies,social solidarity originated from the similarity of blood ties and geographical proximity;in industrial societies,it relied on the functional interdependence brought about by refined division of labor.Both models presuppose that human beings are the sole social agents,and their ethical norms are generated through long-term,stable community interactions and institutional arrangements.Today,the scenario of human-machine symbiosis and integration,driven by the division of labor between humans and machines,has transformed the original integration mechanisms of social solidarity based on a single human subject.Reconstructing social solidarity in the era of digital intelligence requires actively exploring how to treat (intelligent) machines as quasi-agents capable of regulating social relations,bearing values,and participating in the generation of social norms.Furthermore,within this new network of human-machine symbiosis,it is essential to establish the fundamental principle of prioritizing human subjectivity,clarify the boundaries of rights and responsibilities in human-machine collaboration,and lay a solid normative foundation for human-machine interaction.To this end,efforts should be made to ensure the continuous generation of weak order in various social contexts at the micro level,construct a governance ecosystem of actor-network with multi-agent collaborative co-governance at the meso level,and reshape human-centered social consensus at the macro level.

Key words: social solidarity, era of digital intelligence, human-machine division of labor, human-machine symbiosis, human-centered, ethical community

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