Who counts as human? More precisely, who counts as the kind of human to whom I owe obligations, and who, when encountered, elicits a response of care? Conversely, who lies beyond my circle of concern? And how should I respond to them? Are they strangers to be hosted, enemies to be feared, or barbarians to be civilized or enslaved?
Since Diogenes the Cynic, different humanisms have attempted to answer such questions through appeals to a universal humanity. These traditions—whether Stoic, Christian, liberal, Marxist, or Islamic—claim that all people, regardless of location, condition, or culture, share a common humanity. In doing so, they contest the boundaries of care by challenging who is and who is not “one of us.”
Read Full Article »