The issue of loneliness has been relatively neglected by political philosophers, that is, philosophers who study questions pertaining to what a just and otherwise desirable society looks like and what roles states specifically should play to help realize it [36]. This is true especially of those working in the analytical tradition that is dominant in much of the Anglophone world [23]. Nonetheless, as this literature review shows, the political philosophy literature on this topic is growing (e.g. 44••, 15••, 29, 31••), which may be due in no small part to increased political attention. For example, already before the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK launched the 'End Loneliness' campaign [11] and appointed a Minister for Loneliness (albeit within an existing ministerial role rather than as a standalone position), which was followed by Japan’s creation in 2021 of a dedicated ministerial post specifically tasked with addressing loneliness and social isolation [26]. Besides contributions by political philosophers, there has also been a recent rise in the number of researchers from other disciplines, most notably social scientists, who have explored (potential) normative aspects and implications of loneliness from a political perspective 13, 17, 18, 19, 22, 27.

This article aims to survey recent work in political philosophy on loneliness. It provides a thematic overview — rather than a systematic or empirical review — of political philosophical literature on the topic published over the past four years. To identify relevant literature, we searched databases, including Google Scholar, PhilPapers, and Web of Science, using the keywords ‘political philosophy’, ‘loneliness’, and ‘social isolation’. This initial search yielded 72 papers. After screening abstracts and reviewing the full texts, we selected 32 papers that directly addressed loneliness through a political philosophical lens. The three themes discussed below were derived inductively from these works based on recurring conceptual and normative concerns. The three themes are (i) political challenges associated with loneliness; (ii) debates over the state’s responsibility for loneliness; and (iii) proposed policy responses. These themes reflect foundational questions in political philosophy, including the legitimacy of state action and the nature of social justice.