Mariana Drok

This week our class has been reading the scholarly article by the literary theorist Judith Butler. She argues that we, as human beings, are interdependent and responsible for each other. According to Butler this responsibility comes from the mutual understanding of vulnerability we possess. Butler builds her theory around the example of bodies imposed to the external world. She argues that such factors as nationality, culture and territory shouldn’t be things that separate humanity and create different groups of people fighting with each other.

This article made me think about the value of people’s lives and the way we distinguish between valuable and invaluable lives. From my own experience I know how easy it is to be sympathetic to the problems one’s own country is facing and stay indifferent to the others. Two years ago the revolution happened in Ukraine. A lot of people lost their lives fighting for their rights and democracy. The whole nation was grieving and mourning over the enormous loss the country experienced. After these events the war with Russia made everyone concentrate on the conflict happening in the East of the country.  A lot of people look at current events as at something that happened just in Ukraine and nowhere else. However, the ability to relate to the similar invasions elsewhere in the world might make the suffering easier and create the connection with others experiencing the same problem.

In addition, these events added more nationalistic moods in society. People tend not to talk a lot about problems the world is facing. They prefer to stay indifferent to the “vulnerability” of others. I am pretty sure that there a lot of people who share the same point of view and make a choice to concentrate on their domestic issues solely. This is not the problem of one or another nation. It is rather a challenge for each individual to leave their comfort zone and see the interconnection with other people regardless of their nationality, race or culture.

Body is an organism that consists of different parts. People or humanity can also be seen as a body. We can all be different, possess different goals and values and speak different languages. However, the body can function properly when its different parts work together. Each nation or culture can be seen as a part of a body. Understanding this connection with each other allows an individual to value their own lives and lives of those around them in a different way.

Picture retrived from : https://www.pinterest.com/pin/394698354822859364/