worldly ethics by ella myers
DESCRIPTION
Where most models of democratic ethics have focused on either care for the self or care for others, Ella Myers advocates an ethical approach to politics based on a collaborative care for the world.TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Worldly Ethics
Ella myErs
democratic politics and care for the world
![Page 2: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
W orldly Eth i cs–—–
Democratic Politics and
Care for the World
E l l a MyE r s
DukeuniversityPress
DurhamanDLonDon 2013
![Page 3: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
©2013DukeUniversityPress
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaonacid-freepaper♾
DesignedbyHeatherHensley
TypesetinWhitmanbyTsengInformationSystems,Inc.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataappearonthelastprintedpageofthisbook.
![Page 4: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Formark
–—–
![Page 5: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
C o n t e n t s
–—–
aCknowLeDgments ix
introDuCtionTracingtheEthicalTurn 1
ChaPteroneCraftingaDemocraticSubject?
TheFoucauldianEthicsofSelf-Care 21
ChaPtertwoLevinasianEthics,Charity,andDemocracy 53
ChaPterthreeTheDemocraticEthicsofCareforWorldlyThings 85
ChaPterFourPartisanshipfortheWorld:TendingtotheWorld
asHomeandIn-Between 111
ePiLogueSelf/Other/World:ForgingConnectionsand
FosteringDemocraticCare 139
notes 153
BiBLiograPhy 195
inDex 207
![Page 6: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
aC k n o w L e D g m e n t s
–—–
Thoughwritingcanoftenfeellikeasolitarypursuit,IamquiteawarethatIdidnotcreatethisbookonmyown.Iamdeeplygratefulfortheinstitutionalsupport,intellectualstimulation,andplainoldencouragementIhavereceivedalongtheway. I most likely would never have found my way to politi-cal theory or discovered its many pleasures and challengeswereitnotforthetremendousgoodfortuneofcrossingpathswithPeterEubenandWendyBrownearlyinmyundergradu-atestudiesattheUniversityofCalifornia,SantaCruz.IcanstillrecalltheexcitementIfelteverytimeIattendedEuben’slegendary,manic“PoliticalFreedom”classandtheinquisitive-ness and ambition that Brown’s demanding seminars awak-enedinme.Iamgratefultobothofthemforshowingmewhatengagedscholarshipandteachinglooklikeandforencourag-ingmetoseegraduateschoolandanacademiccareerasrealpossibilitiesinmylife. IbeganthisprojectatNorthwesternUniversity,asamem-berofalivelyandgrowingpoliticaltheorycommunitythere.Linda Zerilli was an invaluable interlocutor and critic, tire-lesslyreadinganddiscussingmanydraftsofthisprojectinitsearly stages. Her rigorous intellectual engagement with myideas was invigorating, flattering, and exhausting. My worktodayisbetterforit.BonnieHonigalsoprovidedsharpcom-mentaryandexpertguidance.Heroriginal,incisivereadingsoftextsandeventsalwayspushmetoconsiderthingsanew.IamespeciallyappreciativeofBonnie’songoinginterestinmyworkandherwillingnesstoofferpracticaladviceinadditiontosharpconceptualinsights. IamluckytobeafacultymemberofthePoliticalScience
![Page 7: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Acknowledgments—x
DepartmentandGenderStudiesprogramattheUniversityofUtah,whereIamsurroundedbytalentedandinterestingcolleaguesandstudents.IamespeciallyindebtedtoMarkButton,whoreadthecompletemanuscriptandofferedcharacteristicallyprobingandcarefulcomments.Iamgrate-fulforourmanyconversationsoverthepastseveralyearsandforthere-assuringwordshehasofferedatcrucialmoments.SteveJohnston,amorerecentarrivaltoourdepartment,hasbroughtgreatenergywithhim,andIlookforwardtoourexchangesinthefuture.Manyothercolleaguesfromacrosscampushavealsobecomegoodfriends.MattBasso,BethClement,BenCohen,KellieCusten,GretchenDietrich,NadjaDurbach,EdmundFong,LelaGraybill,MontyParet,RichardPreiss,PaisleyRekdal,AngelaSmith,KathrynStockton,andJessicaStraleyhaveallhelpedmakeSaltLakefeellikehome,providingnotonlyintellectualcompanionshipbutwarm meals, laughter, and commiseration. Finally, my students havehelpedme thinkdifferentlyandbetterabout thequestionspursued inthisbook,andtheyhavereliablykeptmeonmytoes. Manyotherpeoplehaveplayedanimportantroleinhelpingthisbookseethelightofday.InadditiontothoseI’vealreadymentioned,IwanttoacknowledgePaulApostolidis,CrinaArcher,JasonFrank,MichaelHan-chard,andPatchenMarkell—allofwhomhavereadandcommentedonpartsoftheprojectatvariouspoints,posingtoughquestionsandofferingfruitfulsuggestions.Thanksalsototwoanonymousreaderswhoprovidedastute,provocative,andveryhelpfulcommentsonthemanuscript.MyworkhasbeenshapedinwaysbigandsmallbydiscussionsovertheyearswithCristina Beltrán, MichaeleFerguson, Kristy King, JillLocke, LidaMaxwell,SaraMonoson,JeanneMorefield,ChrisSkeaff,MattVoorhees,andLenaZuckerwise.DemetraKasimisdeservesspecialmentionforthemanyhoursshehasspentdiscussingthisprojectandforprovidinggoodcheerwhenmostneeded. Earlierversionsofsomeofthisbook’sargumentswerepresentedattheAmericanPoliticalScienceAssociationmeetingsin2007and2009andattheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationmeetingsin2009and2011.Partofchapter1waspublishedas“ResistingFoucauldianEthics:AssociativePoliticsandtheLimitsoftheCareoftheSelf”inContemporary Political Theory7,no.2(2008),andIamgratefulforpermissiontousethisma-terialhere.IamthankfulforcriticalfinancialsupportIreceivedfromtheUniversityofUtah.Asemester’sleaveallowedmetocompletethefirstfulldraftofthemanuscript,andaFacultyFellowAwardfromtheUniversity
![Page 8: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Acknowledgments—xi
ResearchCommitteeatpreciselytherightmomentallowedmetoreviseandpolishthefinalversion.ThanksalsotoDukeUniversityPress,espe-ciallytomyeditor,CourtneyBerger,whohasbeensupportive,responsive,andwise. AsIhaveworkedonthisprojectIhavebeensustainedbyextraordi-naryfriendswhoseintelligence,humor,andcarehaveseenmethrough.IespeciallythankPaulAdelstein,TonyBianchi,MikeBosia,PhilDrachtandHeatherHuffman-Dracht,JasonGiven,RoshenHendrickson,Mar-tine Hyland, Demetra Kasimis, Nick Markos, Jon McCoy, Paul North,ChristinePirrone,LauraScott,MikeandHeatherSimons,DavidSinger,FrieseUndine,LizaWeil,andEvaYusa.Thanksalsotomysister,BrookeMyers-Awalt,forlistening,understanding,andbeinghilarious.Iwanttothankmyparents,RobynWagnerandTomMyers,fortheirloveandsup-portandforfosteringinmeasenseofcuriosity,aloveofbooks,andadesiretokeeplearning.AndtoSolomon,whoarrivedasthisprojectwascomingtocompletion:mygratitudeforyoursmile,yoursweetcuriosity,andallthesurprisestocome. Finally,IowethemosttoMarkSchwarz.Idedicatethisbooktohimin appreciation of the wit, patience, and warmth he brings to our lifetogether.Hehasalwaysbelievedunwaveringlyinthisprojectand,evenmoreimportant,inme,withorwithoutabook.Hisdistinctivevoiceandvisionmaketheworldmoreintriguingandmyplaceinitmoresure.
![Page 9: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
i n t r o D u C t i o n
–—–
trac i ng th E Eth i cal tu rn
The category of ethics is ascendant in recent democraticthought—thatmuchisclear.Evenabriefreviewofcontem-porarypoliticaltheoryrevealsadevelopmentnotableenoughtohavegarneredaname:the“turntoethics.”1Thisphrase,thoughhelpful,isalsomisleadingsinceitsuggestsaunifiedphenomenon,animplicationbeliedbythemultiple,compet-ingunderstandingsofethicsandethosthatshapethecurrentconversation.Theprevalenceofanethicalvocabularyisun-deniable,butthissignalslessthepursuitofacommonpurposethanastruggleoversignification. Still, one feature of contemporary democratic theory’smultivalentobsessionwithethicsisstriking.Againandagain,acrossworktakinginspirationfromhighlydisparatesources,ethicsemergesasan indispensabletreatment foracrippleddemocraticpolitics.2That is,despitedivergentconceptions,ethicsiscastasaresponseto(sometimesill-specified)prob-lemsplaguingdemocracytoday.Ethicsisfiguredrepeatedlyasananimatingsupplementtopolitics,supplyingdemocracywithsomethingitcannotgiveitselfbuturgentlyrequires.In-deed,perhapstheonlybeliefunitingthediverseworkidenti-fiedwiththeturntoethicsistheconvictionthatethicscon-stitutesthatmissingsomethingthatcanhelpcurewhatailsdemocraticlife.Thisconvictionincreasinglycirculatesinnon-
![Page 10: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Introduction—2
academiccirclesaswell—ethosfiguresprominentlyinmainstreamdiag-nosesoftheillsafflictingliberaldemocracies.3 This book provides a sympathetic critique of the quest for a demo-cratic ethos, cautioning against the directions this search often takes,while seeking to forgeadifferentpath. Iaffirmthesignificanceof thedemocratic ethos question, yet I argue that prominent efforts to spec-ifyanethicssuitedtodemocracyare, in theend,notespeciallydemo-cratic.Formulationsofethics inspiredby theworkofMichelFoucaultandEmmanuelLevinas,Ishow,areinclinedtoundermine,ratherthanenhance,citizens’democraticactivity.Thesetherapeuticandcharitablemodesofethics,whichcenteroncarefortheselfandcarefortheOther,respectively,maybeadmirableintheirownright,but,despiteclaimstothecontrary,theyareill-equippedtonourishassociativedemocraticpoli-tics.ThedyadicrelationsthatarelabeledethicalinbothofthesecasesnarrowattentiontothefiguresofselfandOtherandobscuretheworldlycontextsthataretheactualsitesandobjectsofdemocraticaction. Ielaborateanddefendhereanalternativeethos,onewhichfocusesnotonanindividual’spracticeofcarefortheselforcarefortheOther,butoncontentiousandcollaborativecarefortheworld,anideaIdevelopwithandagainstHannahArendt’spolitical theory.Theworldlyethicsadvo-catedhererests,first,onanaccountofdemocraticrelationsthathigh-lightsthesenseinwhichcitizens’jointactionconcernssomethingintheworld,asimultaneouslycommonandcontestedobjectthatisthefocusofmutualattention,advocacy,anddebate.Aviabledemocraticethicshon-orsthisdynamic,recognizingthatdemocraticrelationsareneversimplyintersubjectivebutinvolverelationsbetweenmultipleactorsandspecificfeaturesoftheworldtheystruggletoshape.Aworld-centereddemocraticethosaimstoinciteandsustaincollectivecareforconditions,carethatisexpressedinassociativeeffortstoaffectparticular“worldlythings.”More-over,thisethosistiedtoanexplicitlynormativeconceptionofworldasbothasharedhumanhomeandmediatingpoliticalspace.Thuscarefortheworld,whichliesattheheartofdemocraticethos,isexpressednotonlybyassociativeactionthattendstoconditionsbutalsobyactionthatpursuesparticularsubstantiveends. Wemustfirstask,however,whatgivesrisetotheturntoethicsinre-centdemocraticthought?If,asIargue,thismoveoftenfalters,itisnone-thelesspromptedbygenuineconcernsofthepresent.Twobroadcondi-tionsareespeciallysignificant,inmyview,providingthecontextinwhich
![Page 11: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—3
thequestionofdemocraticethoshasbeenposed:widespreadcitizendis-engagementwithintheU.S.polityandtheso-calledfactofpluralism.Thefirst,well-documentedsituationischaracterizedbyAmericans’lowlevelsofparticipation across multiple sites and forms of citizen activity.Thegrowingdisaffectionofmanyandtheseemingwithdrawaloflargeseg-mentsof thepopulation frompublic life throwintoquestionthebasicpremiseofself-government.Italsocreatesavacuumthattendstobefilledbythemostextremeanddogmaticvoices,whichthreatentomonopolizeoratleastgreatlydistortpublicdiscourse.Inlightofthesecircumstances,theconceptofdemocraticethosemergesasawayofthinkingaboutwhatcaninspireormotivateordinarycitizens’participationindemocraticpoli-tics.Effortstodefineanethicsfordemocracyareusuallyconcernedwithelaboratingsensibilitiesororientationsthat,iffostered,mightdrawmorepeopleintodemocraticactivity.Thechallengeis,furthermore,todeveloporientations that canencourage impassioned participation in thediffi-cult,frustratinglaborofdemocraticpoliticswhileavoidingthevitriolanddemonizationthatcharacterizesomuchpoliticaldebatetoday. Thebeliefthatethicsofonekindoranothercaninspireandnourishdemocraticpoliticsreliesuponanimplicitunderstandingofpoliticsasir-reducibletotheformalfeaturesofgovernment—aregime’sinstitutions,laws,andprocedures. Indeed, the inquiry intoethosasksone to thinkaboutthespiritofdemocracy, that is, theconstellationofdispositions,habitsoffeeling,andqualitiesofcharacterthatservetoanimateandsus-tainpracticesofself-government.Ifthisspiritisinsomesenseweakenedorevenmissingtoday,howmightitbecultivated?4Whataffectsorsensi-bilitiesdoesitcallfor?Andcansuchqualitiesbefosteredamongavariedcitizenryinwaysthatrespectdiversityandliberty?Thesearchforethicsisatleastpartlyaresponsetoanominallydemocraticordercharacterizedbyonlyminimaldemocraticactivity. ThesecondimportantcontextforunderstandingtheproliferationofethicstalkiswhatMaxWeberreferredtoatthebeginningofthetwen-tiethcenturyasour“inescapablecondition,”orwhattodayoftengoesbythename“thefactofpluralism.”Growingrecognitionofthecompetingandirreconcilablegoods,faiths,andwaysoflifethatcharacterizehumanexistencehasthrownintoquestiontheideaofasinglemoralitythatwouldgroundpoliticallife.Inlightofthisdevelopment,thetopicofethicshasassumednewimportance. Ifpoliticscanno longerbe imaginedas theinstantiationofauniversalGoodinaworldmarkedbymultiple,incom-
![Page 12: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Introduction—4
patiblecomprehensiveviews,theideasofethicsandethosseemtoopenupwaysofthinkingaboutthenormativedimensionsofpoliticsinnon-absolutistways.Theforayintoethicssignalsanattempttowrestlewithquestionsofvalue,character,andcommitmentinapluralistage. Butiftheinquiryintoethicsispartlyinresponsetothefactofplural-ism,nowwidelyacceptedasthestartingpointforpoliticaltheorizing,thisinvestigationshouldbedistinguishedfromtheinfluentialworkofJürgenHabermasandJohnRawlsandtheirintellectualheirs,whichalsopresentspluralismasthestartingpoint.AlthoughbothHabermasandRawlstreattheexistenceofmultiple,irreconcilablecomprehensivedoctrinesorcon-ceptionsof thegood lifeasagiven,eachrespondstothiscondition inwaysthattheturntoethicschallenges. Ontheonehand,Habermasacknowledgesthatnosingleanswertothequestionofthegoodlifeispossible;answerstothatquestionarerootedinparticulartraditionsandculturesthatdivergeandconflictwithoutthepromiseofreconciliation.Yethealsoclaimsthatamoralpointofviewcanbeattained through fidelity to a specialprocedure of justification.Thismoralpointofviewisrationalanduniversal,irreducibletoconcreteformsofSittlichkeit,orethicallife.5Habermasacknowledgesamultiplicityofethicalvaluesandcorrespondingwaysoflifeasthelotofmodernity,yetthisethicalpluralityisqualifiedandlimitedbyaproceduralistmoralitythatretainsforliberal-democraticpoliticsaformofuniversalnormativity.Rawls,ontheotherhand,famouslyendeavorsinhislaterworktoprovideapolitical,ratherthanmoral,justificationforhisconceptionofjustice,onewhichremainsneutralbetweencompetingmoraloutlooks.ThefactofpluralismitselfleadsRawlstoalterhistheoryofjusticeinsuchawaythatitsjustificationisheldtobeindependentofanycomprehensivemoralideal.Justiceasfairnessdoesnotaspiretouniversalitybutisinstead,ac-cordingtoRawls,self-consciouslyrootedinaparticularhistoricalcon-text,thatofmodernconstitutionaldemocracy.ButwhileRawlsseekstoavoidthemoraluniversalismthatHabermasretains,hisnonmetaphysi-calaccountofjusticeincludesadefenseof“publicreason”thatstrictlylimitstheexpressionofpluralisminpoliticallife.AlthoughthenuancesofRawlsianpublicreasoncontinuetobeheavilydebated,itsfunctionisclear:itspecifiesthekindofreasongivingandargumentationthatRawlsholdsshouldandshouldnotcharacterizepublicdebateinadiverse,lib-eralsociety.6Underconditionsofpluralism,Rawlswrites,“therearemanynonpublicreasonsbutonlyonepublicreason.”7
![Page 13: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—5
Theturntoethicsinpostfoundationaldemocratictheorytakesplural-ismasapointofdeparture,then,butitsorientationtowardthisfactisdistinctivefrombothHabermasianandRawlsianapproachesintwopri-maryways.8First,whenethicsofonekindoranother isofferedupasnourishmentfordemocraticlife,thegestureusuallydisavowsmorecon-ventional formsofmorality.WorkthatdrawsonFoucaultandLevinas,forexample,presentsethicsasanexplicitchallengetomorality,howeverformalorprocedural.Indeed,ethicsinthisveinissometimescalledpost-moralinrecognitionofitsdeparturefromfamiliarmoraltraditionsthatarethoughttodenyordoviolencetothepluralityofvalues,goods,andfaiths.Speakingveryschematically,ethicsisunderstoodtobemorepar-ticularandaffectivethanuniversal,reason-governedmodelsofmorality.Whileconventionalmoralitiestendtoaspiretothestatusoflaw,ethicsprivilegesthecultivationofdispositionsoverrule-following,suggestingawayofbeingintheworldthatcannotbeformulatedincodified,univer-salterms.9Second,thepursuitofpost-moralethicsisusuallyunderstoodasanefforttoexpand,ratherthancontain,theexpressionofpluralisminpubliclife.ForthinkerslikeWilliamConnolly,JudithButler,andSimonCritchley,forexample,whodrawonFoucauldianandLevinasianethicsinsupportofradicalizeddemocracy(andwhoseworkIaddressinthefol-lowingchapters),thetaskisnotprimarilyunderstoodtobeoneoflimit-ingthepresenceofpluralisminpoliticaldebateanddecisionmaking.10Instead,theaimistoconceptualizeanddevelopthequalitiesofcharac-terandhabitsoffeelingthatmightenablelivelyandrespectfulexchangeacrossdeepdifference,fosteringevenfurtherpluralizationofcollectivelife.Whatvirtues,theyask,mightguideandanimatecitizenactioninaliberal-democraticpolitymarkedbycompetingandirreconcilablecom-prehensiveviews,whicharenotandcannotbeleftatthedoor?11 Ifthesearchforademocraticethosismotivatedlargelybythesedis-tinctiveproblemsofthepresent,wecanseethatitalsorevivessomeveryold concerns within political theory. Although the history of politicalthoughtdoesnotofferanysimpleconsensusonthematter,itrevealsapersistentpreoccupationwiththequestionofhowethicsmightbecon-nectedtopolitics,apreoccupationthatspanstimeandcompetingintel-lectualtraditions.Severalimportantstrandsofthatlineage,includingan-cient,civicrepublican,andliberal,constitutethebackdropagainstwhichthelatestinquiryintoethosistakingplace. Mostnotably, therecent reappearanceof the termethos inpolitical
![Page 14: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Introduction—6
theorypointstoitsoriginalancientGreekcontext,inwhichethos,“thecharacteristicspirit,prevalenttoneofsentiment,ofapeopleoracommu-nity,”wasunderstoodtobeacrucialcomplementtonomos.12Together,theywerethoughttoconstitutea“universalizingpair”inwhichtheprin-ciples of order, written and unwritten, were joined with a particular,sharedsensibility.13TheGreeks’definingbeliefinamutuallyinfluentialrelationship between city and soul, elegantly captured in Plato’s refer-encesto“thepoliteiaofthesoul,”wasinformedbytheconvictionthatthesoul,thoughbelongingtoanindividual,wasshapedanddirectedbythesurroundingpoliticalorder,consistingofbothofficialinstitutionsandacommunalspiritorcharacter,nomosandethos,whichtogetherservedasasourceofmoraleducationforitsmembers.“Soulcraft”wascloselybound up with the organization of collective life, in both its legal andextralegaldimensions.Ethos in thiscontext referredneither toacodeofrulesnortoanattributeoftheindividual,buttoadistinctive,sharedwayofbeingthatcomplementedbutwasirreducibletothegovernment’sformalstructure.IntheworkofPlato,Aristotle,andotherthinkersoftheperiod,ethosconnotesdisposition,character,andbearing,understoodincollectiveratherthanstrictlypersonaltermsandheldtobesusceptibletopurposefulshapingandcultivation.14Theethosofacityorconstitutionwasits“moralambience,”coloringawholewayoflifeandexertinganim-portantinfluenceonthechildrenrearedthere.15 The belief that political life is inevitably inhabited by an ethos alsocharacterizesthecivicrepublicantradition,whichapproachesthetopiclargely through the conceptual vocabulary of civic virtue. Republicanthinkersregardsuchvirtueasfundamentaltosoundcitizenship,insist-ingthatahealthyrepublicdependsnotonlyonwell-designedinstitutionscapableofupholdingtheruleoflaw,butalsooncitizens’qualitiesofchar-acter,whichorientthemtowardpursuitofthepublicgood.Whilethetra-ditionrangingfromCicerotoMachiavellitoTocquevilleisfarfromuni-fied,theattentiondevotedtothequestionofcitizens’“habitsoftheheart”isoneofitsdefiningfeatures.16Inspiredbyclassicalthoughtandpractice,republicansunderstandtheformationofsubjectstobeacentralproblemforpolitics.AccordingtoTocqueville,forexample,Americaninstitutionsofself-governmentbothcultivatedandrequiredcitizenswhosharedcer-taindispositionsandorientations,suchasafeltsenseofcollectiverespon-sibilityandaspiritofcontinualimprovement.Fromthecivicrepublicanvantagepointpoliticsandethicsaredistinguishable,withpoliticsrefer-
![Page 15: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—7
ring toacommunity’s institutionalarrangementsandethics to itsciti-zens’characterandsensibilities,buttheyarenecessarilyboundupwithoneanotherinarelationofreciprocalinfluenceandtogetherconstituteasociety’spoliticalculture. Finally, although not always as readily recognized, liberal thoughtthroughtheageshasfocusedattentiononthosequalitiesofcharacterorethicalpreconditionsthoughttomakeasuccessfulliberalorderpossibleandinvestigatedhowthesemightbeencouraged.Ananemicaccountofliberalism,accordingtowhichliberalsareentirelyunconcernedwiththegoodlifeandseekonlyanimpartialumpireingovernment,stillcircu-lates,despitethedifficultyoffindinganyliberalthinker,pastorpresent,whoactuallyarticulatessuchaposition.Yetmanycontemporaryliberalsaffirmthesignificanceofcitizenvirtuetopresent-dayliberalordersandhavebroughttolighttheextenttowhichcanonicalliberalpoliticaltheoryhasbeenconcernedwithitsownversionofcivicvirtuefromthestart.17PeterBerkowitz,forexample,hasshownthattheachievementofalib-eralwayoflifeforHobbes,Locke,Kant,andMill,amongothers,dependsuponcertainvirtueswhicharenotautomaticallygeneratedbyliberalism’scentralinstitutionsandwhicharesometimesevendiscouragedbythem.18Similarly,MarkButtonhasconvincinglyarguedthatthesocialcontract,socentraltoliberalthoughtfromitsinceptiontotoday,ismorethanade-viceforconceptualizinglegitimacy(asisusuallyassumed).Italsoservestotheorizea“transformativeethos”thatcanfosterincitizensthe“civiccharacter”and“ethicalsensibility”thataliberalorderrequires.19WhatBerkowitz,Button,andothershelpidentifyis lessaunifiedaccountofliberalvirtuesacrossthinkersthanasharedconvictionthattherearesuchvirtues,quitevariouslydefined,andthattheircultivationisadifficultbutpressingquestionforliberals.Theabidinginterestinanethicsthatani-matesliberalpoliticsiscomplicated,however,byliberalism’scorecom-mitmenttoindividuallibertyandskepticismtowardgovernmentintru-sion.Liberalthoughtischaracterizedbysimultaneousenthusiasmforandaversiontovirtue.20Withoutdiscountingthisambivalence,itisimportanttoacknowledgethatenthusiasmforvirtue,sometimesoverlooked, isaprominentfeatureofliberalpoliticaltheory.Theinquiryintoethosanditsroleinpoliticallifeisintegral,then,notonlytoclassicalandcivicre-publicanthoughtbutalsotoliberalphilosophy. Whenthinkerstodayturntoethicsorethos(usuallyusedinterchange-ably)toaddresscontemporarydemocracy,theytapintothesetraditions.
![Page 16: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Introduction—8
TheydrawonancientGreekinsights,forexample,evenastheyputthemintheserviceofvisionsofpoliticallifethatbearlittleresemblancetotheclassicalpolis.Mostsignificant,theytaketheirbearingsfromtheancientconvictionthatcharacteranddispositionmatterpolitically,thatis,bythebeliefthatapolityisirreducibletoitsformalfeatures.Fromthisperspec-tive,everypoliticalcommunityisshaped,forgoodorill,byitscollectivespiritnolessthanbyitslaws.Manycontemporarydemocratictheorists,explicitlyornot,arereturningtoanancientconcernandaffirmingtheGreeknotionthat“justastheetheandthenomoiofacityarecloselycon-nected,sotoothestudyof‘ethics’isitselfapartof‘politics.’”21 Likewise,thequestforademocraticethosrevivesacentralfeatureofrepublicanthoughtbyaskingafterthehabitsoftheheartthatcoulden-ablemorerobust,respectfulformsofparticipationbyabroaderrangeofcitizensinadiversifyingAmericanpolity.Contemporarythinkersseek-inganethicsfordemocracyarereimaginingcivicvirtueforthepresent,exploringwhichsensibilitiesandorientationscanpreparecitizensforco-actionwithoneanotherandhowthesevirtues,whichseemtobeinrathershortsupply,mightbepromotedundercurrentconditions.Atthesametime,proponentsoftheturntoethics,thoughfocusedonthequestionofcultivation,evincesomeofliberalism’sambivalence,remainingalerttothedangerofpaternalismthatattendsanyefforttoshapecitizens’charac-ter.Theoristsofdemocraticethosstrivetoconceptualizeakindofmoraleducation that avoids normalization and, further, actually aids plurali-zation. Giventheextenttowhichcontemporarydemocratictheorybuildsonthesepriorstrandsofpolitical thought, it is temptingto label theturntoethicsareturntoethics.Yetwhileancientandmoderninfluencesareundeniable,recentinquiriesintoethicsarenotsimplycontinuouswithearliermodesofthought.Mostimportant,ancientandcivicrepublicansourcesconnectedethosandcivicvirtue,respectively,tofairlyhomoge-neousandself-containedpoliticalcommunities,characterizedlargelybyface-to-facerelationswithinrelativelysmallterritories.22Thequestionofethostodaytakesitsbearingsfromaverydifferentsetofconditions,asthepreviousdiscussionofpluralismnoted,andaskswhethertheideaofcitizenvirtuecanbeadaptedandreimaginedforadiverse,mobile,andexpansivesociety.Aretherecertainhabitsoftheheartuniquelysuitedtothepracticeofdemocraticpoliticsamongavast,heterogeneous,increas-
![Page 17: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—9
inglyglobalizedcitizenry?23Andcandesirabledispositionsbenurturedinwaysthatprotectandextendpluralityratherthanseekmonisticunity? Whileproponentsoftheethicalturnanswerthesequestionsaffirma-tively, today’ssearchforademocraticethos isnotwithout itscritics. Iwanttoclarifythenatureoftheseobjectionsandexplainwhymyprojectcriticallyparticipatesin,ratherthanrejectsoutright,theethicalturn. Amajorchargeleveledbyskepticsatthoseseekinganethicsfordemoc-racyisthatsucheffortsarepoorlydisguisedexercisesinmoralabsolut-ism.Thatis,whileethicsisusuallypresentedasalessrigidalternativetoconventionalformsofmorality,somecriticsoftheethicalturnallegethattheattempttolocateanethicsfordemocracyexpressesthedesiretogrounddemocracyinanextrapoliticalfoundation.24Forexample,ErnestoLaclauarguesthat“ethicization”revertstoadiscourseof“firstphiloso-phy.”Toseekanethicsfordemocracyistoseekanultimateauthoritybe-yondpoliticalpractice;itisanattempttoevadepolitics’“radicalcontin-gency.”25ChantalMouffevoicesasimilarconcernwhensheclaimsthatthetendencyamongcontemporarydemocratictheoriststoadoptanethi-calvocabularyisdrivenbythefantasyofa“finalguarantee”thatautho-rizespoliticalarrangements.Thehuntforethics,sheavers,isthehuntfora“moreprofoundormoresolid”groundthan“thepractices,thelanguagegamesthatareconstitutiveof[a]particularformoflife.”26 Theworryisnotjustthatproponentsoftheethicalturnpositagroundwhere there is none, but that the preoccupation with the category ofethics,howeversoothing,signalsaveryreal“contractionofpoliticalam-bitions.”27WendyBrown,forexample,warnsagainstthetemptationtoembraceamoralizingimperativethatsubstitutesforengagementinthemessy,frustratingworkofstrugglingforpower,withandagainstothers,inthefieldofpolitics.28LikeMouffe,wholabelstheturntoethics“are-treatfromthepolitical,”GeorgeShulmanarguesthatpartoftheallureofethicsisitsapparentpromiseofatruththatprecedesorisexternaltopoliticalcontestation—atruththatwouldseemtorelievecitizensofthedifficultworkoforganizingtogethertomakepublicdemandsandmobi-lizingothersonbehalfofthedemandstheyadvocate.29Henotesfurtherthattheobsessionwithethicsisasymptomofdespairovertheprospectsforsuchcollectiveactiontoday.Perhapsthereiscomfortinthethoughtthatone’staskconsistsinaffirmingtherightethicaloutlook,fromwhichdesirablepoliticalconsequenceswillhopefully follow.When“action in
![Page 18: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Introduction—10
concert”appearstoberareorunlikely,30wemaybeattractedtothenotionthatdemocracycanberescuedbysomethingotherthanitself,namely,thediscoveryoftheproperethics.31 Althoughtheseclaimsarecompelling, it isamistake todismiss theturntoethicsasadeadend.Ratherthaneschewthecategoryofethicsinthenameoftheautonomyofthepoliticalorinsistupontheprimacyofpolitics,thisprojectinterrogates,butalsocontributesto,democratictheory’sinvestigationofethos.Thecriticscitedearlierarepartlycorrect:theturntoethicscanassumeabsolutistformsandattimesdoessignalanattempttoevadetherealitiesofdemocraticstruggle,pointsIhaveinsisteduponelsewhere.32Butthisisnotnecessarilyso;ethicsisnotamonolith.Therearemanycompetingconceptionsofethics,justasthereareofpoli-tics.Someversionsofethicsarelikelytodiscourageratherthaninspirecollectiveactionbydemocraticcitizens.Twoofmychapters,infact,focusontheproblemsposedbyethicalmodelsthatcenterondyadicrelationsofcare—aseriouslimitationlargelyoverlooked,evenbythosewhoareotherwiseskepticaloftheethicalturnindemocraticthought.Yetitisalsopossibletoconceptualizeanddefendanethosthatisuniquelysuitedtothechallengesofassociativedemocracy,asthisbook’saccountofworldlyethicswillshow. Ethics, I believe, remains a valuable idiom for thinking and talkingaboutthenormativeandaffectiveorientationsandsensibilitiesthatareinevitablypartofpoliticallife.Itisnotamatterofwhetherwewanttobringethicsintopolitics;thephenomenathattendtotravelunderthesenamesarealreadycombined,forbetterorworse.Indeed,thelanguageofethicsandpoliticsrendersasseparatedimensionsofculturalexistencethatareactuallyquitedifficulttopullapart.Nonetheless,ethicscontinuestoprovideauseful,albeitimperfect,conceptualvocabularyforinvesti-gatingthoseelementsofdemocraticlifethatareleftoutofstrictlyinsti-tutionalandrationalistaccounts.Morespecifically,mybookdeploysanethicalvocabularyinordertoconsiderthespiritthatalreadyinhabitsas-sociativedemocraticaction—whichInamecarefortheworld—andtoar-gueforitsimportanceandpurposefulcultivation.Indoingso,Iresistthetendencytocastethicsperseasunworldlyinoppositiontotheworldlycharacterofpolitics.BonnieHonig,forexample,rightlyinsists,followingArendt,thatpoliticsisbothinandabouttheworldandthattheromancewithethicsmayserveasanescapefromthe“exposure”worldlyengage-mententails.33But ifpolitics isnotconfinedto formalproceduresand
![Page 19: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—11
institutions,whatdispositionsandsensibilitiesareatworkwhencitizensundertakethedemanding,uncertain,butalsooftenpleasurableworkofworld-centereddemocraticaction?Certainly,asIwillshow,someformsofethics—whichIconceptualizeastherapeuticandcharitableincharac-ter—canaptlybecharacterizedasunworldlyandthereforeasgenerallyunsupportiveofdemocratic activity.But it is amistake todeclare thatethicsassuchisalwaysandonlyalienatedfromtheworld,understoodasthemessy,power-laden,variedspaceofdemocraticassociation.Thisbookargues,onthecontrary,foradistinctivelyworldlyethics,notonlyasapos-sibilitybutasareality,onethatisalreadyexpressedandenactedtodaybyadmirableformsofjointaction. Thisisacriticalandconstructiveproject.Theargumentofferedhereaimstorevealunacknowledgedcostsoftheturntoethics.IdemonstratethatFoucauldianandLevinasianapproaches,eachfocusedonadifferentdyadicrelationofcare,areinclinedtoenervateratherthanenrichasso-ciativeactionbydemocraticcitizens.Mycritiquedoesnotconcludewithacall toabandonthequestforademocraticethos,however.Instead,Iconceptualizeanddefendanalternativeethicalorientation,onefocusedonincitingcitizens’collectivecareforworldlythings.AndIarguethatworldlyethics,implicitincertaincollectivecitizenefforts,isapromisingresourcefordemocraticactiontoday. Thebook’scaseforworldlyethicscentersonanassociativeconcep-tionofdemocraticpoliticsthatemphasizesjointactionbycitizensaimedatshapingsharedconditions.34Thisviewofdemocracygrantsprimacytopublicpracticesinwhichdifferentiatedcollectivitiesstruggle,bothwithandagainstoneanother,toaffectfeaturesoftheworldinwhichtheylive.Thetermassociativereferstothreeinterlockingfeaturesofsuchapolitics:(1)itinvolvescollaborativeandcontentiousaction,bornoutofassocia-tionamongmultiplecitizens;(2)suchactionisnotconfinedtotheoffi-cialchannelsofgovernmentbutfrequentlyappearsatthelevelofcivilsociety,withinso-calledsecondaryassociations;andfinally,mostsignifi-cant:(3)democraticactorsarebothbroughttogetherandseparatedfromoneanotherbycommonobjects. Inotherwords, theyalwaysassociatearoundsomething. First,associativesignalsanonholisticunderstandingofdemocraticcol-lectivity.Relationsofassociationareonesinwhichdistinct individualscoordinatetheiractionswithothersinordertopursuegoalsnotachiev-ablebyasingleactor.35Democraticpoliticsthusunderstooddoesnotde-
![Page 20: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Introduction—12
pendontheexistenceofaunifieddemosorasinglepeople.Rather,asso-ciativedemocraticpoliticsinvolvescollectivitiesthatareconstitutedbymultiple“co-actors.”36Inaddition,theserelationsofsolidaristicassocia-tionaresituatedwithinbroader,morecontentiousformsofassociationinwhichcompetingcollectivesviepubliclywithoneanotheroverspecificpractices,laws,policies,andnorms. Second,althoughcertainpoliticalinstitutionsandspacesserveasen-abling conditions for the enactment of associative democratic politics,this politics is not confined to the official channels of government. AsmanyofthemostpowerfulexamplesofassociativedemocraticpoliticsinrecentAmericanhistoryindicate,theseprojectsfrequentlyinvolvecre-ativeformsofadvocacythattakeplaceonthemarginsoforinoppositiontothestateapparatus.WhetherinpursuitofAfricanAmericancivilrights,environmentalprotections,ahumaneaiDspolicy,oreconomicpoliciesthatbenefittheso-called99percent,directcollectiveactionhastypicallyinvolvedthecreationofnewinstitutionsandthereconfigurationofpub-licspace,notsimplytheoccupationofpreexistingpoliticalvenues.Wecannotfullyanticipatewhereorhowassociativedemocraticpoliticswillappear.37 Finally,associative indicatesthatdemocraticrelationsarenotsimplyintersubjective, ifby that wemean they involve two ormore subjects.Rather, democratic politics involves relations among plural individualswhich are mediated by shared, yet also disputed, objects of attention.These third terms around which democratic actors associate serve assitesofmutualenergyandadvocacy.Citizensaresimultaneouslybroughttogetherandseparatedfromoneanotherbyspecific,worldlymattersofconcern,which“inter- est”or liebetweenthem.38Relationsofbothco-operationandantagonismamongdemocratic constituencies aremedi-atedbysomethingintheworldthatisthefocalpointoftheiractivity. Thisportraitdoesnotclaimtodepictdemocracyassuch;certainfea-tures of democratic politics are emphasized at the expense of others.Nonetheless,itisimportanttorecognizethatassociativeactivitybyordi-nary citizens is central to almost every conception of democratic poli-tics, includingphilosophicalformulationsandpracticalunderstandingsalike.Citizenassociationiscertainlynotalways interpretedinthewaysketchedabove—indeed,asIwillshow,thecentralroleplayedbyme-diatingworldlythingsisespeciallyneglected—yetthereisapervasive,sharedunderstandingthatthe“artofassociation”isabsolutelycentralto
![Page 21: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—13
anysatisfactoryaccountofdemocraticpolitics.39DavidHeld’sinfluentialModels of Democracy,forexample,revealstheextenttowhichassociativeactivitybycitizensisregardedasadistinctive,indispensablecharacteris-ticofdemocracy,evenaccordingtocompetingphilosophieswhichother-wisedivergeconsiderably.40Itisnotonlydirectdemocrats,butalsoDah-lianpluralistdemocratsandmoreconventionalliberaldemocrats,amongothers,whoassignanimportantroletocitizenassociationwhendefiningdemocracy.41 Moreover,everyday languagesuggests thatpeopleregularly identifyassociationalpracticesbywhichpluralcitizensaimtoaffecttheirenvi-ronmentasspecificallydemocratic,eveninthecontextofregimesthatwouldnot themselves be socategorized. Forexample, mediacoverageintheUnitedStatesinearly2011oftendescribedthecollectiveprotestsinEgyptleadinguptotherevolutionaspartofa“democraticuprising”orastheexpressionof“democraticfreedom.”42Thesecharacterizations,alsoprevalentininformalconversationsamongnonexperts,indicatethatpeopletendtounderstandpublicactioninconcertpreciselyasanenact-mentofdemocracy,whereveritoccurs.TheidentificationoftheprotestsinTahrirSquareinthespringof2011asdemocratichadlesstodowiththe fact that someparticipantswerecalling fordemocratizing reformsthanwiththesharedinsightthattheprotesterswerealreadypracticingdemocracybyjoiningtogethertogeneratepowerandproduceeffectscol-lectivelythattheycouldnotalone. Ifassociativeactionisintegraltonearlyeveryphilosophicalandprac-ticaldefinitionofdemocracy, then thisbook’s investigationofethos isperhapsofsomegeneralinterest.Thebook’scentralquestions—Doesthepracticeofassociativedemocracyhaveanethos?Howshoulditbecharac-terized?Canitbepurposelyfostered?How?—will,Ihope,resonatewithdemocratsofvaryingstripeswhosharetheconvictionthatordinaryciti-zens’jointaction,andnotmerelyindividuals’righttovote,isessentialtodemocraticlife. Thebook’sinitial,ground-clearingprojectcentersonworkthattakesinspirationfromFoucaultandLevinas.Theoristswhoturntothesethink-ersinordertodevelopanaccountofdemocraticethosaretypicallyinter-estedinnourishingactivistformsofdemocracythatinvolvesignificantassociationalactivityamongcitizens.Yet,asIshow,theethicalorienta-tionstheyconceptualizeareill-suitedtoenrichingtheassociativedynam-icsoutlinedabove,inwhichcollaborativeandcontentiousformsofaction
![Page 22: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Introduction—14
takeplaceinpluralsitesandaremediatedbydisputedcommonobjects.Inparticular,carefortheselfandcarefortheOtherdescribeethicalorien-tationsthatcelebratedyadicrelationsinwhichtheprimaryactor,asingleself,tendstoherselfortoanother.Thesemodelsofcarecannotsimplybeextendedtoassociativedemocraticpolitics.Neithertheface-to-faceim-mediacyoftheLevinasianencounternorthereflexiveintimacyofFou-cauldianartsoftheselfleavesroomforthecrucialthirdterm,acommonanddisputedobject,thatinspiresdemocraticprojectsanddrawscitizensintorelationsofsupportandcontestationwithoneanother.Inresponsetothisneglect,thebookelaboratesanalternativeethics,alsocenteredonpracticesofcare.Yetthecarethatiscentraltoassociativedemocracy,Ishow,isenactedbymanypersons,notone.Andtherecipientofthatcareisneitheraselfnorevenselvesbutaparticularfeatureofsharedcondi-tions—aworldlything—thatisbothacommonandcontentiousobjectofconcern. Onefinalnote,beforeofferingamapofthebook’scontents:thethreecentral thinkers in this project, Foucault, Levinas, and Arendt, whoseworkanditsappropriationbyothersIexamineinrelationtothequestionofdemocraticethics,areheirstoaspecific,sharedintellectualheritage.43Thislineage,existentialphenomenologyingeneralandMartinHeideg-ger’sthoughtinparticular,isnotthefocusofmyinquiry,yetthefactthatallthreetheorists’writingsareshapedbyandresponsivetothissingulartheoreticaltraditionisimportant.44Mostnotably,itmayhelptoexplainwhytheirworkisespeciallyfertilegroundfortoday’sinvestigationsintoethos,investigationswhich,asdiscussedearlier,areundertakenfromanonessentialist,postmoralvantagepoint.45Despitethedistinctivenessoftheirrespectiveapproachesandtheuniquerelationsofcareeachcon-ceptualizes, Foucault, Levinas, and Arendt can be regarded as partici-pants inacommontheoreticalendeavor,onewhich ismarked,firstofall,bya“criticalorientationtorationalism,abstractsystem-building,andotherobjectifying modesof thought suchaspositivism.”46 Inaddition,thefocusofexistentialphenomenologyon“worldlyrelations”and“con-cretelivedexperience”ratherthanon“mentalcontents”isevidentinallthree thinkers’workandconnectswith theirreaders’ interest inethosasanembodied,enactedwayofbeing.47Finally,becausetheexistential-phenomenological perspective is especially alert to “non-rational di-mensionsofhumanexistence:habits,non-consciouspractices,moods,andpassions,”itisunsurprisingthatwritingsemergingfromthistradi-
![Page 23: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—15
tionhavecaptivatedcontemporaryaudiencesinterestedinethics,whereethics isunderstoodasdispositionalandaffective,an importantextra-rationalaspectofpoliticallife.48Thefollowinganalysisfocusesprimarilyonexploringthedifferencesbetweentherapeutic,charitable,andworldlyethics,whichtaketheirbearingsfromFoucault,Levinas,andArendt,re-spectively.Thesecompetingapproachestoethicsarenotsimplyoronlyatoddswithoneanother,however;asharedexistential-phenomenologicalorientationinformstheworkofallthreeandseemstoresonatewiththoseseekingademocraticethostoday.
Thebook’sargumentproceedsasfollows.Chapter1focusesonhowFou-cault’slateworkhasbeentakenupbytheoristsseekingacontemporarydemocraticethos.Foucault’sinterestinancientaesthetic/asceticmodesofself-elaboration,whichhedescribesasanethicsof“careoftheself,”hasintriguedthoseinterestedincultivatingnewformsofdemocraticsub-jectivitythatmightspurdeeper,morerespectfulformsofcitizenengage-ment.BuildingonFoucault’srecommendationthattheethicsofself-caremightbereinventedforthepresentandhelptofosterselveswho“playgamesofpowerwithaslittledominationaspossible,”WilliamConnolly,forexample,hasadvocatedethicaltacticsperformedbytheselfonherselfasindispensableforcontemporarypluralistdemocracy.49 InthischapterIexaminebothFoucault’sandConnolly’swork,focus-ingonConnolly’scontentionthatartsoftheself,or“micropolitics,”haveavitalroletoplayininspiringandshapingcollectivedemocraticaction,that is, “macropolitics.” Iarguethatalthoughthis idea isappealing,anethicscapableofanimatingassociativedemocraticactivitycannottaketheself’srelationshiptoitselfasastartingpoint.EventhoughFoucaultandConnollyconceptualizeaselfthatiscontinuallyrecraftedratherthandiscoveredinitsultimatetruth,theirworknonethelessadvancesathera-peuticethics,whichtreats theself’s relationshipwith itselfasprimaryandenvisionsdemocraticactivityasaconsequenceorextensionofthatreflexiverelation.Thechapterilluminatesthistherapeuticethicalorien-tationandtriestodispelthebeliefthatitisbycaringforoneselfthatonecomestocarefortheworld.Iarguethatunlesstheself’srelationshiptoitselfisdrivenfromthestartbysharedconcernforaworldlyproblem,thereisnoreasontobelievethatitwillleadinanactivist,democraticdi-rection.Indeed,focusedcarefortheselftooreadilysubstitutesfortend-ingtotheworldthatissharedwithdiverseothers.
![Page 24: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Introduction—16
InlightofthecriticalperspectivecastonFoucauldianethics,Iturninchapter2toLevinas’sethicaltheory,whichcondemnsegoisminthenameoftheself’sinfiniteresponsibilitytotheOther.Thisunderstandingofethics,centeringontheOtheranditssummonstotheself,privilegesanintersubjectiveratherthananintrasubjectiverelation. FortheoristssuchasSimonCritchleyandJudithButler,thisfocusontheself’sobligationtotendtoaneedyOtherappearsespeciallyusefultoademocraticethosbecauseitconfrontsself-interest,callingonustocon-cernourselveswiththefatesofothers.MyreadingsofLevinas,Critchley,andButler,however,showthatitisamistaketoassumethatacharitableethics,centeredontheself’sprovisionofaidtoasingular,sufferingother,cansupportcollectivedemocraticendeavors.ThetendencytopresentaLevinasian-inspiredethicaltruthasthekeytopoliticaltransformationisfalselyreassuring;itevadesthedifficultiesofdemocraticmobilizationbyimplyingthatassociativeactionsimplyawaitsacceptanceofanindisput-ableethicalreality:theself’stotalobligationtotheOther.Yetanethicsfocusedontheself’scarefortheOther,evenifunderstoodinlessfounda-tionaltermsthanthis,isunabletonourishassociativedemocraticaction.Levinasian ethics may be compelling, but it revolves around a dyadic,hierarchicalrelationthatisfocusedonaddressingimmediateneeds.Suchcharitablerelationshavevalue,but,asIshow,theyaredistinctfrom,evenat odds with, democratic ones, which involve collaboration among co-actorswhostruggletotendnottoasingularOther,buttotheworldlycon-ditionsunderwhichselvesandotherslive. IarguethatthetherapeuticandcharitablemodelsofethicspromotedbyFoucault,Levinas,andkey interpreters suchasConnolly,Critchley,andButlerareunlikelytoinspireandsustaincollectivedemocraticac-tivity,inwhichparticipantscooperateandcontendwithoneanotherinanefforttoaffectworldlyconditions.CareforoneselforcarefortheOther,though perhaps valuable, does little to encourage associative relationsamongcitizens.Moreover,itisamistaketoassumethatformsofdemo-craticengagementsomehowfollowfrompropercarefortheselforforanOther.Indeed,Ishowthatthetherapeuticandcharitableorientationsothershaveadvocatedinthenameofademocraticethosneedtobere-sistedifweseektofosteractivistformsofdemocraticcitizenship. Chapters3and4arededicatedtotheorizingaworld-centeredethos.50Iarguethatthespiritofcarefortheworld,whichalreadyanimatessomeassociativedemocraticprojects,deservestobeexplicitlythematizedand
![Page 25: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—17
purposefullycultivated.Thefirststeptowardelaboratingthisethicalori-entation,whichIargueisespecially importanttodemocratic life, istoarticulatethecentralconceptofworld.Chapter3developsthisnotion,first,bydefiningworldasthearrayofmaterialandimmaterialconditionsunderwhichhumanbeingslive—bothwithoneanotherandwitharichvarietyofnonhumans,organicandtechnological.ThisportraitdrawsonArendt’sunderstandingofworldasan“in-between,”thatis,boththesiteandobjectofpolitics,yet,astheabovestatementindicates,Ichallengeherrestrictionofworldtowhat isman-made.Inaddition,Iclaimthatcoactionamongcitizensisbestunderstoodnotasbeingdirectedattheworldperse,asArendtwouldhaveit,butatparticularworldlythings,whicharemoreplural,dynamic,anddisputedthanhertheoryrecognizes.Inreferencetothing’soriginalmeaning,worldlything,acentralconceptinthisbook,indicatesnotagenericobjectbuta“matteroffact”thathasbeenreconstitutedasapublic“matterofconcern.”51Thisthing,Ishow,is crucial to every democratic undertaking; it is the contentious thirdtermaroundwhichpeoplegather,bothinsolidarityanddivision.Aviabledemocraticethoshonorsthisdynamic,seekingtoinspiremutualcareforworldlyconditions. Chapter3engageswiththeworkofArendt,JohnDewey,BrunoLatour,andothersinordertorevealthestructureofcitizenassociationinwhichworldlythingsbothconnectanddivideconstituencies,astructurethatiseclipsedbydyadicmodelsofethics.Chapter4buildsonthisaccountofthecrucialroleplayedbyworldlythingsindemocraticpoliticsinordertospecifythenormativeendsthatcarefortheworldpursues.Thischapterclarifiesthatnotallformsofcollectiveorganizinginrelationtoaworldlythingormatterofconcerncountasinstancesofcarefortheworld.ThedemocraticethosIdefendisrefinedtomeancarefortheworldasworld.HereIadvanceanexplicitlynormativeconceptionofworld—asbothasharedhumanhomeandmediatingpoliticalspace—thatallowsforcriti-caldistinctionstobemadebetweencompetingprojectsundertakenbydemocraticactors.Thechapterelaboratestheseconceptsbyexaminingcontemporaryorganizationsandmovements,includingNoMoreDeaths/NoMásMuertes,theBeaconsprogramsinNewYorkCityPublicSchools,andtheRighttotheCityMovement,whichembodythedemocraticethosIadvance. Abriefepiloguerevisitsthedistinctionsbetweencarefortheself,carefor theOther,andcare for theworld that informthebook’sargument
![Page 26: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Introduction—18
insupportofanethosthatcananddoesanimateassociativedemocraticpolitics.HereIconsiderwhetherandhowthedyadic,intimatemodalitiesofcareemphasizedbyFoucauldianandLevinasianethicscanbetrans-formedintocollaborativepracticesofcarefocusedonshapingcollectiveconditions. What strategies of politicization, for example, can activatefeelingsofcareandconcernanddirect themtowardworldly things? Iconsiderthetechniquesthatcanhelpfostercarefortheworldevenundercircumstancesseeminglyinhospitabletoit. Oneimageinparticular,fromthemarginsofArendt’swork,canhelpilluminatethedistinctiveorientationthatdefinesworldlyethics.Inthesummerof1963,GershomScholem,therenownedJewishscholar,wrotea lettertoArendtconcerningherrecentlypublishedbookEichmann in Jerusalem,whichreportedonthetrialoftheformerssofficerAdolfEich-mann.52AtthetimeofitsappearanceEichmann in Jerusalemwasthesub-jectofintensedispute,debatesthatcontinuetoshapeitsreceptiontoday.OneofthemostcontroversialpointsinthebookwasArendt’schargethattheJudenräte,orlocalJewishgoverningstructures,had,intheirmainte-nanceofJewishpublicorderintheghettoes,enabledtheNazistoslaugh-tergreaternumbersofJewswithgreaterefficiencythantheymightother-wisehavedone.Manypeople,Jewsandnon-Jews,wereshockedbythisseeminglyharshandunempathicclaim.Scholem’s letter toArendtac-cusesherofadoptinga“heartless”toneinherdiscussionsof“Jewsandtheirbearinginthedaysofcatastrophe.”Bywayofelaboration,ScholemexplainstoArendt,“IntheJewishtradition,thereisaconcept,hardtodefineandyetconcreteenough,whichweknowasAhabath Israel:‘LoveoftheJewishpeople.’”Andhedeclaresthathefinds“littletraceofthis”inherbook.53 InherresponsetoScholem,Arendtdirectlyaddressesthischarge.Shewritesofthe“loveoftheJewishpeople,”“Youarequiteright—Iamnotmovedbyanyloveofthissort.”Shestates,“This‘loveoftheJews’wouldappeartome,sinceIammyselfJewish,assomethingrathersuspect.IcannotlovemyselforanythingwhichIknowispartandparcelofmyownperson.”Andshewrites,asapointofcontrast,that“thegreatnessofthispeoplewasoncethatitbelievedinGod,andbelievedinHiminsuchawaythatitstrustandlovetowardshimwasgreaterthanitsfear.Andnowthispeoplebelievesonlyinitself?Whatgoodcancomeofthat?—Well,inthissenseIdonot‘love’theJews,nordoI‘believe’inthem.”54Arendt’sre-sponsetoScholemcallsintoquestiontheself-orientednatureofAhabath
![Page 27: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Tracing the Ethical Turn—19
Israel,theloveoftheJewishpeoplebytheJewishpeople.Sheremindshimofthereal“greatness”oftheJews,whichconcernedtheirtrustinandloveforanentityoutsidethemselvesinrelationtowhichtheycametobe:God,whoactedasacommonobjectofdevotionandthusconstitutedasharedworldforthem,anin-between.ItisnottheJews’loveforthem-selvesorevenforoneanotherthatArendtwantstorecallandhonor,buttheirregardforathirdterm,theirGod,aroundwhichtheyconstitutedacommunity. ThisbookinvitesreaderstoseeinArendt’sexchangewithScholemanascentdemocraticanalogy.Scholem’sinvocationofaself-orientedre-lationof loveand faith(of Jews to themselves)evokesadyadicethicalrelationofthesortIcallintoquestion.Arendt’sradicalshiftinperspec-tive,whichbringsintoviewarelationinvolvingmultipleindividualsandasharedobjectofloveandfaith,offersareligiousanalogtothedemo-craticrelationswithwhichthisbookisconcerned.Thethirdterm,God,isakintothosesecular,worldlyobjectsthat,asIargue,inspirethelaborsofdemocraticactorsandmediaterelationsamongthem.Thebooktrackshowthesedemocraticmodesofrelation—inwhichindividualsarecon-nected to and separated from one another bya common object whichtheyattempttoaffect—areoccludedbypopularethicalapproaches.Anditurgesustoseethatasensibilityfocusedoncollectiveandcontentiouscareforworldlythingsisanethosuniquelyfitfordemocracy.
![Page 28: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
n o t e s
–—–
i ntroduction
1.SeeThe Turn to Ethics,ed.Garber,Hanssen,andWalkowitz.LeadingexamplesofthisdevelopmentincludeAnderson,The Way We Argue Now;Bennett,The En-chantment of Modern LifeandVibrant Matter;Butler,Giving an Account of OneselfandPrecarious Life;Coles,Rethinking Generosity;Connolly,Why I Am Not a Secular-ist,Pluralism,andA World of Becoming;Critchley,The Ethics of DeconstructionandInfinitely Demanding;Orlie,Living Ethically, Acting Politically;White,The Ethos of a Late Modern Citizen;andZiarek,An Ethics of Dissensus.
2.WilliamConnollyfrequentlyreferstoethicsasbeingindispensabletodemocracy.See,forexample,Why I Am Not a Secularist,13,170,187.
3.Forexample,manymediarepresentationsoftheOccupyWallStreet(ows)move-mentinlate2011emphasizeditsenactmentofanethos,alternatelyidentifiedasnonviolent(nPr),leaderless(HuffingtonPost),do-it-yourself(JewishWeek),andno-demands(Salon.com)incharacter.SupportersoftendepictedthisethosasavaluableresourceforreinvigoratingAmericandemocracy.Formoretheoreticalreflectionsonows’sethos,seeWendyBrownonits“populistethos”in“OccupyWallStreet:ReturnofaRepressedRes- Publica”andRichardGrusinonthemove-ment’s fostering of a “revolutionary counter-mood” in “Premediation and theVirtualOccupationofWallStreet.”ButseealsoGeorgeShulman,“InterpretingOccupy,”whicharguesthatacademicshavemostlyinterpretedowsinwaysthatvalidate“ourownpreferredframeworksofanalysis.”Shulman’squestion,“Mustanyefforttounderstandowsmakeitevidencetoconfirmwhatwealready(wantto)believe?”couldeasilyberaisedinrelationtotheethosmanyhaveattributedtothemovement.
4.OnemightobjectthatwhatislackingintheU.S.polityisnottherequisitespiritbuttheinstitutionalarrangementsthatensuretheexerciseofgenuinelydemo-craticpower.TheinfluenceofcorporationsonU.S.elections,expandedbyCitizens United v. Federal Election Committee(2010),might,forexample,supporttheclaimthatcitizensactrationallywhentheydeclinetoparticipateindemocraticpoli-tics.Lackingeffectivesitesofdemocraticdecisionmaking,citizensmaysimplyoptout.Yetitisinsufficienttoinsistthatstructuralreform,ratherthanethos,istherealissue.ThisissonotonlybecauseoftheoldbutaptRousseauvianinsightregardingthecircularrelationshipbetweenasociety’sspiritanditsinstitutions.Morepointedly still, the institutionalproblems thatmightexplaincitizendis-
![Page 29: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Notes to Introduction—154
engagement—growingcorporatepower,anexpandedexecutivebranch,anen-trenchedtwo-partysystem,andsoon—donotputtorestthequestionofethos.Indeed,theymayraiseitanew:mighttheabsenceofeffectivecollectiveactioninresponsetotheseconditionsleadonebacktotheproblemofaspiritthatismissingbutthatcouldhelpmobilizecitizens,renderingthesemerefactssitesofdemocraticcontestationandresistance?
5.AsNikolasKompridissays,Habermasemploys“averysharpform/contentdis-tinctiontodistinguishauniversalisticconceptofjusticefromparticularconcep-tionsofthegoodlife”(“FromReasontoSelf-Realisation?,”333).Themoralpointofview,accordingtoHabermas,properlyguidesquestionsaboutwhatisright,whilequestionsaboutwhatisgoodcanbeansweredonlywithinthecontextofaspecificformoflife.
6.SomeofthemostpowerfulobjectionstobothHabermas’sandRawls’saccountsofpublicreasoncontendthattheirapproachestodemocraticdeliberationunwit-tinglyreinforceexistingpowerrelationsandspecificallydisadvantagemarginal-izedgroups,whoseformsofexpressionmaynotconformtothenormativemodelsofcommunicationtheyadvance.SeeYoung,“CommunicationandtheOther,”andDeveaux,Cultural Pluralism and the Dilemmas of Justice.
7.Rawls,Political Liberalism,220. 8.Anderson’sThe Way We Argue Nowisanexception.Shestatesthatethoshasbe-
comea“valorized term” incontemporarypolitical theorybutsays ithasbeenwronglyjuxtaposedwithreasonandalignedwithaffect(11–12).Andersonchal-lengesthisframing(andFoucauldianethicsinparticular,whichshecastsasin-coherent)insupportofHabermasiandiscourseethics,whichsheclaimsunitesethicsandrationality.
9.ThecontrastbetweenmoralityandethicscorrespondsroughlytotheHegeliandistinctionbetweenformal,universalMoralitätandthemoreparticular,custom-arySittlichkeit.
10.Thisisnottosaythatthoseinvolvedintheturntoethicsadvocateananythinggoesapproachtopolitical life.Connolly, forexample,questionstheexclusionsgeneratedbyRawlsianpublicreason,whichrestrict“newdrivesofpluralization”(Connolly,Ethos of Pluralization,xiv).Yethealsonotesthat“exclusions,restric-tions, and boundaries” are necessary, particularly to restrain fundamentalism.Similarly,ChantalMouffearguesthat“totalpluralism”isnotpossibleordesirableandthat“somelimitsneedtobeputtothekindofconfrontationthatisgoingtobeseenaslegitimateinthepublicsphere.Butthepoliticalnatureoftheselimitsshouldbeacknowledgedinsteadofbeingpresentedasrequirementsofmoralityorrationality,”astheyareforHabermasandRawls(Mouffe,The Democratic Para-dox,93).
11.Connolly maintains that secularist positions that eschew comprehensive con-ceptionsinpoliticsmakeitdifficultforpartisanstoengageinissuesofthedaybecausemostparticipantsactuallydodrawontheirmetaphysicalandreligiousperspectives.Thusthedesiretoridpoliticallifeofsuchperspectivesmaybestra-tegicallyineffective.SeeConnolly,Why I Am Not a Secularist,chapter1.Inthisre-gard,thediscovery—anapparentsurprisetomanyDemocrats—thatamajority
![Page 30: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Notes to Introduction—155
ofcitizenswhovotedforGeorgeW.Bushin2004citedmoralvaluesasthesinglemost important issue of the election, is instructive. See Katharine Q. Seelye,“MoralValuesCitedasaDefiningIssueoftheElection,”New York Times,Novem-ber4,2004.SeveralyearslaterBarackObama’softenmoving,morallyinfusedrhetoricleadinguptotheelectionof2008seemedtoexpresshiscriticismofthetendencytocedevaluestalktotheright:“Inreactiontoreligiousoverreach,weequatetolerancewithsecularism,andforfeitthemorallanguagethatwouldhelpinfuseourpolicieswithalargermeaning”(Obama,The Audacity of Hope,48).
12.Oxford English Dictionary(2ded.,1989).Chamberlain,“From‘Haunts’to‘Charac-ter,’”102.BoththeoedandChamberlainidentifyAristotle’sRhetoricasaprimarytext inestablishing thismeaningofethos.Chamberlain explains that “inmostwritersofthefifthcenturyBCandlater,ethoscanusuallybeunderstoodandtrans-latedas‘character,’”withthecaveatthatsuchcharacterisunderstoodincollectiveandnotstrictlyindividualistterms(101–2).
13.Chamberlain,“From‘Haunts’to‘Character,’”102. 14.ThomasCortsnotesthattherehasbeen“confusionoftwoGreekterms”which
aresimilarinEnglish:ἔθος,meaningsimply“custom”or“habit,”andἦθος,mean-ing“custom,disposition,character.”ThelattertermistheoneusedbyAristotle,anditispresentedasacomplementtonomosintheancientGreektradition.Thelatterterm,Cortsnotes,alsocarriesapositiveconnotation, indicatinga“gooddisposition,”whiletheformeris“morallyneutralandreferstobehavioraltraits.”Cortsrecommendsthatscholarstransliterateἔθοςasethosandἦθοςasēthos inordertoreflectthisdistinction.Inaddition,“Theymightalsoemphasizetheposi-tivemoralqualityofἦθος,ratherthanthebehavioralneutralityofitssisterterm”(“TheDerivationofEthos,”201–2).Thisbook,however,followsthecontemporaryconventionamongdemocratictheorists(andtheoed)ofusingethostoreferto“thecharacteristicspirit,prevalenttoneofsentiment,ofapeopleoracommu-nity.”SeealsoChamberlain,“From‘Haunts’to‘Character,’”wherehenotesthattheNicomachean Ethics“explainstheconnectionbetweenethosandēthos”insofarashumanvirtueis“habituable,”thatis,susceptibletotrainingandhabit(102–3).
15.Chamberlain, “From ‘Haunts’ to ‘Character,’” 102. He notes that “orators canspeaktotheiraudienceof ‘your’or ‘our’ēthē,”indicatingasharedmoralsensi-bility.
16.Tocqueville,Democracy in America,volume1,part2,chapter9. 17.Work that highlights the significance of virtue in contemporary liberalism in-
cludesMacedo,Liberal Virtues,andGalston,Liberal Purposes. 18.Berkowitz,Virtue and the Making of Modern Liberalism. 19.Button,Contract, Culture, and Citizenship. 20.Berkowitz,Virtue and the Making of Modern Liberalism,x–xii.Buttondescribesthis
as“theparadoxofcivicvirtueforliberalism”:“Liberalsocietiespresupposeandrelyonarangeofimportantmoralqualitiesandvirtuesfortheirveryidentityandstability,”yetitishardforliberalstoconceive“howthosequalitiescouldlegiti-matelybetheobjectsofcultivation,”giventheircommitmenttoindividualfree-domandan“overridingconcerntolimitcoercivegovernment”(Contract, Culture, and Citizenship,16).
![Page 31: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Notes to Introduction—156
21.Chamberlain,“From‘Haunts’to‘Character,’”103.Oratleasttheyare“closelycon-nected”whenasocietyisstable.BothPlatoandAristotlearealerttothedifficul-tiesthatarisewhenetheandnomoiarenolongermutuallyreinforcing.
22.Apartialexceptiontothischaracterization isMachiavelli’sportraitofrepubli-canism, which, as MaurizioViroli argues, follows prior republican thought byemphasizingtheruleoflaw,theprincipleofcivicequality,andtheimportanceofcivicvirtuebutpartscompanywiththehumanistandCiceroniantraditionsbychallengingthevalueofconcord.Viroli,“MachiavelliandtheRepublicanIdeaofPolitics.”
23.ThisquestionsuggestsaprojectdifferentfromRobertBellah’swell-knownco-authored book,whichborrowsTocqueville’s phrase in supportof a communi-tarian,arguablynostalgicvisionofAmericanlife.Bellahetal.,The Habits of the Heart.
24.RaymondGeusshasarguedstronglyagainst“ethics-first”formsofpoliticaltheory.ButhecharacterizesethicsquitenarrowlyasaformofKantianmoralabsolutismthatregardspoliticsasderivativeofanideal(aviewheidentifieswithRawls’swork).Geuss’scriticismsareworthconsideration,buthedefinesethicsinaverylimitedandsometimesevencaricaturedwaythatdoesnotbegintocapturethedi-verseconceptualizationsofthetermbypoliticaltheorists,manyofwhomcannotreasonablybechargedwiththesimple-mindedidealismGeussportraysinordertodramatizethemeritsofhisownrealism.SeeGeuss,Philosophy and Real Politics.
25.Laclau,“Deconstruction,Pragmatism,Hegemony,”58,60,54. 26.Mouffe,“WhichEthicsforDemocracy?,”91.Elsewhere,however,Mouffeisfar
from dismissive of ethics: “To secure allegiance and adhesion to [democratic]principleswhatisneededisthecreationofademocraticethos...themobiliza-tionofpassionsandsentiments,themultiplicationofpractices,institutionsandlanguagegamesthatprovideconditionsofpossibilityfordemocraticsubjectsanddemocraticformsofwilling”(“Deconstruction,Pragmatism,andthePoliticsofDemocracy,”6).
27.Apostolidis,“PoliticsandConnolly’sEthics.”Althoughhismainargumenthereisthatthe“complementaritiesofethicalandpoliticalaction”arerevealedwhenConnolly’sethicalworkisreadinconnectionwiththeexperiencesandnarrativesofimmigrantworkers,thearticlenonethelessendsonacautionarynote,warningthattheoristsshouldrenewtheir“enthusiasmforinterrogatingthestructuraldy-namicsofpowerthathelpordertheterrainwhereethicalpracticesaredeployed.”
28.Brown,“MoralismasAnti-Politics.”SeealsoDean,“ThePoliticsofAvoidance,”whichdepictstheturntoethicsasaformofnaïveidealismthatdetractsattentionfromthecriticalandoppositionalpoliticsinwhichdemocraticcitizensoughttobeengaged.Inarelatedmove,JacquesRancière’s“TheEthicalTurnofAesthet-icsandPolitics”caststheethicalturnasanevasionofjudgmentanddistinctionmaking,thoughthisclaimissuggestedmorethanfullyargued.
29.Shulman,“AcknowledgmentandDisavowalasanIdiomforTheorizingPolitics.” 30.“Actioninconcert”isArendt’sphrase,whichappearsthroughoutherwritingsand
isespeciallyprominentinThe Human Condition. 31.Ibid.Honig,“ThePoliticsofEthos,”alsoadvancesthishypothesis.Inamorehis-
![Page 32: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Notes to Introduction—157
toricalreadingoftheturntoethicsintheFrenchcontext,JulianBourg’sFrom Revolution to EthicsdocumentsaparadigmshiftfollowingMay1968,inwhichanewemphasisonethics(onewhichpersiststothisday)appearedinresponsetotheapparentimpossibilityofpoliticalrevolution.Althoughhedoesnotlabelthisdevelopmentasignalofdespair,hedoespresenttheshifttotheethicalregisterasaconsequenceofthefailureofinstitutionaloverthrowin1968.
32.On the question of absolutism, Myers, “From Pluralism to Liberalism,” dem-onstratesthattheindeterminateethicaloutlookarticulatedbyBerlin—thatofvaluepluralism—ismisinterpretedandappropriatedbycontemporary liberalswhoseektoturnitintoamoralfoundationsanctioningliberalism.Myers,“Re-sistingFoucauldianEthics,”showsthattheturntoethicsalsohasthepotentialtodistractfrommorepressingquestionsofhowtogeneratecollectivepower.SomeofFoucault’sinfluentialreadershavewronglyemphasizedhislaterworkontheethicsof“carefortheself”asastrategyforresistingdisciplinarypowerandbio-power.Thisapproach,Iargue,minimizesFoucault’sastuteanalysesofhowdisci-plineandbiopowerfunctionby“individualizing”and“massifying,”respectively,andhisrelatedbutunderappreciatedaccountofthe“counter-power”bornoutofassociativeactivitythatcanpotentiallycontendwiththeseforces.ThisneglectedbutcentralFoucauldianinsightshouldalertustothelimitsofcareoftheselfasameansofreworkingexistingpowerrelationsandredirectourattentiontoasso-ciativestrategiesinstead.
33.Honigobserves,“Still,itseemstome,althoughethosmaybeanimportantpartofpreparationandreceptivityforwould-bepoliticalactors(themselvesalreadypoliticizedasconstitutedsubjects),itisnomatchfortheworldlinessofpoliticalengagement”(“ThePoliticsofEthos,”428).Thisclaimechoesmyearlierargu-mentin“TheTurntoEthicsandItsDemocraticCosts,”whichconceptualizesthequestforethosprimarilyasanevasionof—andthreatto—democraticpolitics.
34.Thisunderstandingofpoliticsservesasacounterpointtowhathasbeentermedthe“democraticdeficit”incontemporarytheory,thatis,thetendencyinrecentpoliticalthoughttoemphasizetheliberalsideofliberaldemocracybyfocusingprimarilyonquestionsofindividualrightsandsafeguardsagainstthestateattheexpenseofpursuingquestionsthatconcernthedistributionofpoliticalpowerandtheexistenceofmeaningfulopportunities forcitizenparticipation inself-government. I borrow the term “democratic deficit” from Mouffe, Democratic Paradox(3–4),thoughitwasinwidecirculationduringthedebatesoverthede-signoftheEuropeanUnion.
35.AlexisdeTocquevillefamouslycreditsassociationalactivitywithsavingthe“in-dependentandweak”citizensofdemocracyfromhelplessness.The“artofasso-ciation” inwhich men “combine for great ends” enables individual citizens toproduceeffectstheycouldnototherwise.Tocqueville,Democracy in America,vol-ume2,part2,chapters5–7.
36.HannahArendtrefersto“co-acting”whenshestatesthatactionis“neverpossibleinisolation”(The Human Condition,189).
37.Althoughtheexistenceofcertainlegalprotectionssuchastherighttoassemblecanhelptosupporttheemergenceofcollectivemovements,examplesofassocia-
![Page 33: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Notes to Introduction—158
tivedemocraticpoliticsamongdissidents,asintheSolidaritymovementofthe1980sinPoland,indicatethatitwouldbeamistaketoruleouttheappearanceofassociativeactioneveninregimeswithverylimitedrightsprotections.Equallymistakenistheideathattheexistenceofconstitutionalrightstospeechandas-sembly,forexample,isproofthatAmericanpoliticalcultureishospitabletothecreationandpreservationofassociationalrelations.AsMichaelRoginhasdem-onstrated, aggressive governmental efforts throughout American history haveeffectivelysuppressedassociativeactivitiesandcollectiveformsoflifethoughttothreatenstatepower.WhatRogincallsthe“countersubversivetradition”intheUnitedStatesinvolvesthestate’svalorizationof“privatefreedom”andaroutinedenialof“publicfreedom,”or“thefreedomofcommunitymemberstospeakandacttogether”(“PoliticalRepressionintheUnitedStates,”65).
38.Arendt,The Human Condition,182. 39.“Artofassociation”isTocqueville’swell-knownphrase,whichappearsinDemoc-
racy in America,volume2,part2,chapter5. 40.Held, Models of Democracy. Of the eight variants of democracy Held analyzes,
sevengrantaprominentplacetocitizens’associativeactivity.Althoughtheinsti-tutionallocationsandmeaningsassignedtoassociationsvary,rangingfromthecitizencouncilsofclassicrepublicanismtothepressuregroupsofmidcenturypluralism,onlythemodelofdemocraticelitismgrantslittletonoimportancetoassociationalactivity.
41.Thepurposeandmeaningascribedtoassociationalactivityvaryaccordingtotheparticularframeworkwithinwhichitisinterpreted.ArchonFung’s“AssociationsandDemocracy”containsaveryusefulmappingofthedifferentargumentsad-vancedinsupportofassociationalactivity.Fungshowsthatdemocraticassocia-tioniscreditedwithmakingsixkindsofcontributions,notallofthemcompatible.(Forexample,accordingtosome,associationisanintrinsicgood,butliberalstendtoseeitasanexpressionofpersonalfreedomwhileparticipatorydemocratsre-garditasamodeofcollectiveself-determination.Stillothertheoriesseetheprac-ticeofassociationinmoreinstrumentalterms,whetherasameansofdevelopingcertainskillsandcapacitiesorasamechanismforimprovingtherepresentationofinterests.)Thisdiversityshouldnotbesurprising,giventhatthecontributionsascribedtoassociationalactivityaregeneratedbycompeting“backgroundideals,”whichFunglabelsclassicalliberalism,representativedemocracy,andparticipa-torydemocracy.
42.See,forexample,RobertF.Worth,“YemenontheBrinkofHell,”New York Times,July20,2011,andSimonSebagMontefiore,“EveryRevolutionIsRevolutionaryinItsOwnWay,”New York Times,March23,2011.
43.In “A Brief Introduction to Phenomenology and Existentialism” Wrathall andDreyfus include Arendt, Levinas, and Foucault in their short list of thinkersstronglyinfluencedbyphenomenologyandexistentialism.
44.Althoughphenomenologyandexistentialismoriginallyappearedastwodistinctstrandsoftwentieth-centuryEuropeanthought,theyhave“largelymergedintoacommoncanonofworksandwaysofdoingphilosophy”(ibid.,5).Seethissame
![Page 34: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Notes to Chapter 1—159
text for an account of the primary features of “merged” existential phenome-nology.
45.Foucault’sandLevinas’sworksfeaturemuchmoreprominentlythanArendt’sintherecentturntoethics,perhapsbecauseArendtdoesnotembraceanexplicitlyethicalvocabulary.Sheisalsosometimesmisreadasathoroughlyamoralthinker,though,asIwillshow,thebeginningsofapowerfulethicalsensibility—carefortheworld—runthroughoutherwritings.
46.Kruks,Retrieving Experience,6. 47.ThisisWrathall’sandDreyfus’sdescriptionofHeidegger’sshiftawayfromHusserl
(“ABriefIntroductiontoPhenomenologyandExistentialism,”3). 48.Ibid.,5. 49.Foucault,“TheEthicsoftheConcernforSelfasaPracticeofFreedom,”298. 50.Myprojectexploreshowtheunderstandingofethicsmightproductivelyshiftby
adoptingwhatLindaZerillihascalleda“world-centeredframe.”Shetooidenti-fiesthisframewithArendt,thoughherinterventionfocusesontheimportanceofreconceivingfreedomasa“worldquestion”ratherthana“subjectquestion”forfeministtheoryandpolitics.SeeZerilli,Feminism and the Abyss of Freedom,intro-duction.
51.Iborrowthedistinctionbetweena“matteroffact”anda“matterofconcern”fromLatour,“FromRealpolitiktoDingpolitik,”16.
52.ScholemandArendt,“EichmanninJerusalem.” 53.Ibid.,51. 54.Ibid.,54.
1. crafting a dEMocratic subjEct?
1.Forexample,theantiwargroupCodePinkwascriticizedbysomefortheiractivi-ties,whichincludedinterruptingandhecklingduringspeechesbyofficials,in-cludingPresidentGeorgeW.Bush.EwenMacAskill,“DebateoverUSHealthcareTakesanUglyTurn,”The Guardian,August12,2009;IanUrbina,“BeyondBeltway,HealthDebateTurnsHostile,”New York Times,August7,2009.PopularattentiontoquestionsofcivilityinpoliticspeakedinJanuary2011aftertheassassinationattemptonRep.GabrielleGiffordsandthemurderofsixothersatapublicCon-gressonYourCornereventatashoppingcenterinTucson.HeleneCooperandJeffZeleny,“ObamaCallsforCivilityinNewEraofAmericanPolitics,”New York Times,January12,2011.
2.Myers, “Resisting Foucauldian Ethics.” I argue that contemporary theory thatchampionsFoucauldianself-careasaprivilegedmodeofresistanceoftenneglectsFoucault’sanalysisofdisciplinarypowerandbiopower,which,ifreadcarefully,shouldalertonetothelimitsofthecareoftheselfasastrategyforreshapingpowerrelations.
3.WilliamConnollyisthemostinfluentialproponentofthisview.SeeConnolly,The Ethos of Pluralization,Why I Am Not a Secularist,andPluralism.SeealsoDumm,Michel Foucault and the Politics of Freedom;Orlie,Living Ethically, Acting Politically;Simons,Foucault and the Political.
![Page 35: Worldly Ethics by Ella Myers](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022050801/552feff34a795942308b45e7/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
EllaMyersisAssistantProfessorofPoliticalScienceandGenderStudiesattheUniversityofUtah.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataMyers,Ella,1976–
Worldlyethics:democraticpoliticsandcarefortheworld/EllaMyers.
p.cm.Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isBn978-0-8223-5385-0(cloth:alk.paper)isBn978-0-8223-5399-7(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Democracy—Moralandethicalaspects.2.Internationalrelations—Moralandethicalaspects.3.Citizenship—Moralandethicalaspects.4.Politicalparticipation—
Moralandethicalaspects.I.Title.jC423.m962013
172—dc23 2012033712