As every society gets older, we need something more than self-reliance, more than just personal responsibility that remains across the foundation of our social culture," said Mr Tharman.
He said that in his many years in politics, he has learned that most people appreciate deeply when there are others around them who are willing to help, and this in turn makes them take even more responsibility for themselves without having to be dependent on others.
He said: "There has to be solidarity. There has to be social empathy. Social empathy and solidarity are not at odds with personal responsibility. In fact, they go very well together."
One way of achieving this is to pay more taxes to the Government, which finds a way to subsidise people, Mr Tharman said.
This is a practice in many countries, but it creates a different spirit in society as the ability to hand out benefits becomes transactional, and it would mean higher taxes for everyone, including the middle class, he added.
