Axel Honneth builds on Hegel’s concept of recognition to argue that social and political conflicts should be understood fundamentally as struggles over recognition. He identifies three core forms of recognition essential for an individual’s identity and dignity: love (personal relationships), rights (legal recognition), and solidarity (social esteem). When any of these forms are denied-through abuse, discrimination, or devaluation-people experience disrespect and may react with resistance and social struggle. Honneth synthesizes philosophical, psychoanalytic, and sociological perspectives to show how these struggles serve as the moral grammar that underlies modern social conflicts.
He further argues that recognizing these needs reshapes our understanding of justice. Instead of focusing solely on resource distribution, justice must also ensure that individuals are genuinely recognized as rights-bearing, valuable members of society. Recognition, in Honneth’s framework, becomes a guiding normative principle: social institutions and democratic systems must foster environments where love, rights, and solidarity are accessible, thus supporting personal integrity and social cohesion.