Vulnerability

'Fineman and Grear have assembled a diverse range of original contributions which build upon Martha Fineman's vulnerability theory. Here we see its full potential to challenge the disembodied, atomised liberal subject. International, wide ranging, sophisticated yet grounded, Vulnerability imagines a way of life that questions the assumptions underpinning our neoliberal world order.' Carl F. Stychin, City University London, UK 'This is an excellent collection and - as vulnerability analysis gains traction across disciplines and jurisdictions - it could not be more timely. The refraction of Martha Fineman's development of vulnerability as an analytical space through different philosophical, jurisprudential and political lenses, confirms for us that her vulnerability thesis is emerging as a compelling and essential counter-theory.' Michael Thomson, University of Leeds, UK 'Vulnerability is a theoretically and empirically rich exploration into a conceptual framework that has the potential to fundamentally redefine how scholars think about social welfare, gender issues, economic inequality, and human rights. Each essay provides deep insights into how the liberal order has effaced the pervasiveness of vulnerability and suggests bold new reformulations that place responsibility on the state for promoting a more just social order. The collection is animated by a common theme: the ethical implications of an embodied life and how more responsive juridical, economic and political arrangements potentially emerge from a vulnerability approach. This path breaking book will be of enormous value to scholars from a wide range of disciplines but with a common interest in developing conceptual tools to reimagine the role of the state in addressing structural inequality.' Kristin Bumiller, Amherst College, USA 'Emanating from Martha Fineman's earlier critical legal theory, these stimulating essays situate the notion of vulnerability and adjacent ideas about harm and responsibility at the heart of human rights research. Through careful but critical reflection on ethics, human vulnerability, the responsive state and civil society, the authors map out a systematic response to the problematic assumptions of the sovereign self in liberal contract theory. A major development in legal studies, Fineman and Grear's edited collection will become a standard reference in law, social sciences and humanities.' Bryan S. Turner, City University of New York, USA 'Taking off from Martha Fineman's foundational principle of human vulnerability, this collection soars with ambitious and original thinking so urgently needed to confront the daunting challenges of our time. It stands as a major resource for building law and policy on firmer ground beyond the quagmires of disembodied individualism.' Martha McCluskey, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA 'The depth and breadth of the vulnerability thesis proposed by Martha Albertson Fineman, with whom the authors engage in a dialogue, is evident in the variety of problems addressed in this collection. Far from being a purely theoretical exercise, the authors in this collection show how concrete demands for justice can be articulated and applied through the vulnerability thesis.' Feminist Legal Studies