L’humain sous l’horizon de l’incapacité

The ancient division of beings as capable or incapable which prevailed up through the 19th century has gradually been replaced by the perspective of an anthropological continuum according to which every being is at once thought of as capable and incapable, as fragile and vulnerable but also as resil...

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Main Author: Jean-Louis Genard
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Université Catholique de Louvain 2015-10-01
Series:Recherches Sociologiques et Anthropologiques
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rsa/1424
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author Jean-Louis Genard
author_facet Jean-Louis Genard
author_sort Jean-Louis Genard
collection DOAJ
description The ancient division of beings as capable or incapable which prevailed up through the 19th century has gradually been replaced by the perspective of an anthropological continuum according to which every being is at once thought of as capable and incapable, as fragile and vulnerable but also as resilient, as endowed with resources and unexploited potentials. This article seeks to grasp the consequences of this “anthropological shift”, in focusing its attention particularly on what happens at the extrema of this continuum. On the side of those who can't take it anymore, but on whom intolerable pressures are exerted to get a grip on themselves, to assume responsibility, there too we see a dualization of the care provided, opposing traditional social policies and the humanitarian reference frame. But on the other side of the continuum too, where “normality” may be beginning to be seen as deficiency, the possibility and expectation of an “augmentation in the human” is emerging on the horizon.
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spelling doaj.art-b9860bc3fecb40059771724173a7614e2024-02-13T13:17:47ZengUniversité Catholique de LouvainRecherches Sociologiques et Anthropologiques1782-15922033-74852015-10-0146112914610.4000/rsa.1424L’humain sous l’horizon de l’incapacitéJean-Louis GenardThe ancient division of beings as capable or incapable which prevailed up through the 19th century has gradually been replaced by the perspective of an anthropological continuum according to which every being is at once thought of as capable and incapable, as fragile and vulnerable but also as resilient, as endowed with resources and unexploited potentials. This article seeks to grasp the consequences of this “anthropological shift”, in focusing its attention particularly on what happens at the extrema of this continuum. On the side of those who can't take it anymore, but on whom intolerable pressures are exerted to get a grip on themselves, to assume responsibility, there too we see a dualization of the care provided, opposing traditional social policies and the humanitarian reference frame. But on the other side of the continuum too, where “normality” may be beginning to be seen as deficiency, the possibility and expectation of an “augmentation in the human” is emerging on the horizon.https://journals.openedition.org/rsa/1424responsibilizationcapacity-incapacitycareembettered humansocial policies
spellingShingle Jean-Louis Genard
L’humain sous l’horizon de l’incapacité
Recherches Sociologiques et Anthropologiques
responsibilization
capacity-incapacity
care
embettered human
social policies
title L’humain sous l’horizon de l’incapacité
title_full L’humain sous l’horizon de l’incapacité
title_fullStr L’humain sous l’horizon de l’incapacité
title_full_unstemmed L’humain sous l’horizon de l’incapacité
title_short L’humain sous l’horizon de l’incapacité
title_sort l humain sous l horizon de l incapacite
topic responsibilization
capacity-incapacity
care
embettered human
social policies
url https://journals.openedition.org/rsa/1424
work_keys_str_mv AT jeanlouisgenard lhumainsouslhorizondelincapacite