This seminar is devoted to the new book of the French physician and anthropologist Didier Fassin. Taking up some topics, Fassin discusses in his book,we will examine various forms and politics of life in early 21st century.
Learning objective
Since Greek antiquity, the concept of life oscillates between the fact of general life, which accords to all living beings (zoe), and the fact of particular life, which accords to an invididual or a defined group (bios). In our times, the democratically granted appreciation for life as the highest good seems to be in conflict with an erosion of the commitment to protect individual lifes in existential danger. By all means, this is Didier Fassin's diagnosis in his new book. Starting from a discussion of this book, this seminar breaks new ground, because the participants decide which of the topics of Fassin's book we will further treat in this course. Thios experimental procedure will work, if all attendees are willing to read the book with passion and scrutiny. The aim of the seminar is to acquire an overview over one of the most pressing topics of our time.
