Kearns, Gerard (2009) Vital Geographies: Life, Luck, and the Human Condition. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 99. pp. 554-574. ISSN 0004-5608

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Abstract

Life has been problematized anew by recent social change and scientific innovation. There are important and little studied geographical dimensions to any such understanding of “the politics of life itself,” however. A geographical perspective involves, first, highlighting the spatial aspects of both states and capital, two rather neglected dimensions of vital politics. Elaborating the geographical constitution of vital politics entails further describing the related powers of knowledges and practices. Reflecting on the geographical dimensions of longevity and health leads directly to a recognition of the ethical implications of the geographical luck of birth and residence. Taking up this ethical challenge requires specifying at least six components of geographical justice: culpability, fairness, care, state failure, human rights, and solidarity with environmental and social justice.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	biomedicine; care; health; inequality; justice; longevity; medical ethics;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography
Item ID:	8647
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1080/00045600902967177
Depositing User:	Gerry Kearns
Date Deposited:	22 Aug 2017 15:42
Journal or Publication Title:	Annals of the Association of American Geographers
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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