Leben machen und sterben lassen: Die Politik mit der Vulnerabilität

In the context of the Corona crisis, the concepts of vulnerability and vulnerable groups have become prominent in public discourse. Contrary to the common understanding that this semantic conjuncture indicates a new mode of “politics for life”, the article argues that the current crisis management is characterised by its social selectivity and the hierarchisation of what is meant by “a worthwhile life”. While an alternative policy vis-à-vis the Corona virus, following Robert Castel’s concept of vulnerability, would aim to tackle social endangerment by institutional means, a political strategy adapted to Judith Butler’s conception would rather opt for increasing social awareness for the fundamental vulnerability of life and the body. In this sense, it is only through the acceptance of this basic social fact that a collective process of dealing with the specific vulnerabilities of different persons and social positions might become ­possible.