Political Bodies

In our everyday lives, we suppress the vulnerability of our bodies wherever we can. But the pandemic has painfully reminded us of this fact: If even breathing in and out becomes a danger, every interaction appears threatening. At the same time, it becomes visible and even more tangible how much we depend on encounters and contact. Thus an ambivalence emerges that becomes the philosophical starting point for Jule Govrin's reflections on the body and politics: Being vulnerable unites all bodies, in our corporeality thus a moment of radical sameness appears. Yet the present and history are governed by mechanisms that aim to make bodies unequal. Govrin's stirring essay draws attention to how political images and economic practices shape bodies. At the same time, this view opens up prospects for a universalism from below, as is emerging in current feminist protest movements. Starting from the recognition that our bodies are vulnerable and interdependent, caring for them becomes the linchpin of global solidarity.