Naslov
Vulnerability and the language of special protection

Autori
Zagorac, Ivana

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Skup
Vulnerability. Theories and Concepts in Philosophy and the Social Sciences

Mjesto i datum
Graz, Austrija, 20.10.2022. - 22.10.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
vulnerability ; protection ; negative and positive aspects

Sažetak
Increased interest in the concept of vulnerability showed that the practical implications of vulnerability are especially challenging. One aspect is defining the criteria for recognizing vulnerable subjects and introducing measures for their protection. The background assumption seems to be that vulnerability denotes a state of a certain insufficiency, lack of power to protect one’s interests, and as such signals the need for protective measures. The obvious challenge here is to determine what constitutes one’s vulnerability. The common approach was simply to list some characteristics (e.g. poverty, low educational level, minority status, immigrant status, illness, etc.) and to declare those who have them as vulnerable. Critics have already raised concerns that listing leads to labeling, and that using a methodology that assumes homogeneous classes of subjects can result in the stereotyping, discrimination, and stigmatization. Additionally, such an approach is insensitive to specific cases and forces protection upon those who might not need it. At the end, on a general level it remained unclear what is meant by “special protection”. In this paper, I’ll focus on aspects of vulnerability that are revealed by the special protection strategy, such is the position that vulnerability should be avoided at all costs or at least minimalized, or that it signals compromised autonomy and loss of agency. Also, I’ll examine whether the philosophical concept of shared vulnerability can be saved from the objections that it is too broad and practically useless.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Filozofija

POVEZANOST RADA