Vulnerability Theory and the Trinity Lectures - (Law, Society, Policy) by Martha Albertson Fineman

Book Synopsis

Vulnerability theory offers an alternative to social-contract and rights-based paradigms. Beginning with the corporeal body, the theory argues we are inevitably and constantly dependent on social institutions that are generated (and ideally monitored) through law. Accordingly, vulnerability theory argues for a state attentive to the needs of the universally 'vulnerable subject'.

Based on lectures at Trinity College Dublin that focused on four foundational concepts, this book highlights how vulnerability theory differs from individualistic liberal frameworks.

Calling for a reorientation of law toward a collective responsibility-based approach, it is essential reading for anyone interested in political theory, social justice, and sociolegal scholarship.

Review Quotes

"I highly recommend this book to all readers who are interested in a theory where the family and the need for care are understood to be at the centre of a society's wellbeing." Titti Mattsson, Lund University

"These Trinity Lectures provide a compelling account of the radical possibilities that can come from centring our universal experience of vulnerability in our ethical, legal, and political thought and action. This is needed now more than ever." Michael Thomson, University of Technology Sydney and University of Leeds

"In her latest book, Fineman offers a rich and comprehensive exploration of her groundbreaking vulnerability theory, charting its evolution and expanding her analysis of its core tenets." Ellen Gordon-Bouvier FHEA, University of Exeter Law School

About the Author

Martha Albertson Fineman is Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science and Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law at Emory University. An award-winning scholar, she is Founding Director of both the Feminism and Legal Theory Project and the Vulnerability and the Human Condition Initiative.