Indeed it may be only by risking the incoherence of identity that connection is possible.
Judith ButlerRead
Life has to be protected. It is precarious. I would even go so far as to say that precarious life is, in a way, a Jewish value for me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is fragile and must be valued, reflecting a moral perspective.
Judith Butler emphasizes the precariousness of life, suggesting that its fragile nature demands protection and respect. This notion aligns with certain ethical values she associates with Jewish thought, indicating that the acknowledgment of life's vulnerability encapsulates a profound moral obligation to safeguard it.
Themes
LifePrecariousValueProtectionEthics
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social justice, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of valuing life.
More from Judith Butler
All quotes βWhen we say gender is performed, we usually mean that we've taken on a role or we're acting in some way and that our acting or our role playing is crucial to the gender that we are and the gender that we present to the world.
Judith ButlerRead
It's my view that gender is culturally formed, but it's also a domain of agency or freedom and that it is most important to resist the violence that is imposed by ideal gender norms, especially against those who are gender different, who are nonconforming in their gender presentation.
Judith ButlerRead
I do not deny certain kinds of biological differences. But I always ask under what conditions, under what discursive and institutional conditions, do certain biological differences - and they're not necessary ones, given the anomalous state of bodies in the world - become the salient characteristics of sex.
Judith ButlerRead
Sexual harassment law is very important. But I think it would be a mistake if the sexual harassment law movement is the only way in which feminism is known in the media.
Judith ButlerRead
We act and walk and speak and talk in ways that consolidate an impression of being a man or being a woman.
Judith ButlerRead
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There is no inherent awakening power in cultural forms that have become dissociated from the wisdom and practicality that gave birth to them. They turn into illusions themselves and become part of the drama of religious culture. Although they can make us happy temporarily, they can't free us from suffering, so at some point, they become a source of disappointment and discouragement. Eventually, these forms may inspire nothing more than resistance to their authority.
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It takes time to live. Like any work of art, life needs to be thought about.
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