The Reparable and the Irreparable: Being Human in the Age of Vulnerability

What do repair and reparation tell us about human beings? They speak to our (natural) vulnerability, our (moral) fallibility, and our (social) incompleteness, but also about the many capabilities we draw upon to mitigate these shortcomings. It is from the heart of human finitude that repair and reparation draw meaning.

Format: Hardback
Length: 253 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

Since the mid-twentieth century, Western societies have witnessed an unprecedented surge in movements, demands, and policies advocating for reparations. The historical catastrophes that shook the last century serve as both the immediate catalyst for this groundswell and its guiding paradigm. The Reparable and the Irreparable: Being Human in the Age of Vulnerability situates reparation within a broader contemporary context and delves into its full anthropological depth. Repair is a global phenomenon that manifests in diverse ways. Ideas of repair and reparation are expressed at various levels, ranging from mending a damaged object to healing a wound, redressing an injury, or making amends for an offense. Johann Michel delves into how repair and reparation shed light on human vulnerability, moral fallibility, and social incompleteness, while also highlighting the various capabilities we employ to mitigate these shortcomings. It is from the core of human finitude that repair and reparation derive meaning, and the irreparable, whether due to the passage of time or an unpayable debt, haunts any policy of reparation. These challenges necessitate addressing by a philosophy of repair and reparation that engages in a renewed dialogue with the social sciences.

Weight: 535g
Dimension: 236 x 157 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666906868