Mortality matters: providing a universal ground for care
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Abstract
Can centering mortality contribute to a caring society? My argument in this paper is that while analyzing the intersections of oppression matters, highlighting the universal need for care also matters. This common ground has been hidden. Drawing on critical theories of medicine and technology, I suggest that health discourses have fragmented vulnerability and death into pathological processes in the hopes of control. Against this backdrop, I use the concept of mortality to support an intersectional analysis that weaves together different forms of ailments – disability, aging, disease, accidents, etc. – to reveal the fundamental vulnerability lying beneath. Centering mortality highlights aspects of life that are essential to care (e.g. finitude, vulnerability, meaning, and our connection to nature). I conclude by exploring the links between the fear of death and the neglect of care, suggesting that learning to engage skillfully with mortality may prove a significant contribution to a caring society.
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