On Violence and Vulnerability in a Pandemic

Philosophy & Rhetoric Jun 2020

On Violence and Vulnerability in a Pandemic

Michael Bernard-Donals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pandemics and plagues function rhetorically, by doing violence to the structures of discourse, sociality, hospitality, and mutual engagement that characterize ethical human interaction. They infect us, as rhetorical subjects, and reorient our capacity for engagement. The coronavirus's “novelty” renders it uncertain as to how long it will last or who will be infected next; the near-uniform response to it has been a forced distance of ourselves from others and a displacement from our itineraries and our locations. Through COVID-19 we are learning that pandemic does violence to our sense of place, to how we think of respite, and has highlighted our sense of vulnerability in the midst of others.

Journal: Philosophy & Rhetoric
Published: 2020-06-15
DOI: 10.5325/philrhet.53.3.0225
Open Access: Closed
Topics: place and space

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (0)

No references match articles in this index.

Also cites 3 works outside this index ↓

Butler, Judith. 2003. “Violence, Mourning, Politics.” Studies in Gender and Sexuality 4 (1): 9–37.

↗
Butler, Judith. 2005. Giving an Account of Oneself. New York: Fordham University Press.

↗
Petherbridge, Danielle. 2016. “What's Critical about Vulnerability? Rethinking Interdependence, Recognition, …

↗

CrossRef global citation count: 3 View in citation network →