Violence, Mourning, and the Ethics of Vulnerability — Rethinking Grievability and State Power | Chapter 2 of Precarious Life by Judith Butler

How do we decide whose lives matter? In Chapter 2 of Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence, Judith Butler addresses this urgent question by exploring how violence, mourning, and political vulnerability shape the very notion of humanity. In this chapter, titled "Violence, Mourning, Politics," Butler continues her critique of post-9/11 state narratives by focusing on the politics of grief—who is allowed to grieve, whose loss is acknowledged, and how public mourning is suppressed or manipulated to serve nationalistic ends.

Watch the full chapter summary below from Last Minute Lecture to better understand how mourning can become an act of political resistance:

Who Counts as Human?

At the core of Butler’s argument lies the question: who is considered human, and who is denied that status? She asserts that political systems define the boundaries of humanity by deciding whose lives are publicly valued and whose losses are rendered invisible. This is tied to the concept of grievability—whether a life is considered worthy of mourning. When some deaths are grieved while others are ignored, we begin to see how political recognition itself becomes a form of power.

Grievability as Political Recognition

Butler proposes that grieving is not just a personal or emotional act but a political one. The public recognition of loss is a form of inclusion, and its denial is a mechanism of exclusion. When entire populations—often marginalized or racialized groups—are excluded from public mourning, their humanity is undermined. This creates a moral hierarchy of whose pain matters and whose doesn’t, often justifying violence or neglect by the state.

Nationalism, Militarism, and Suppression of Grief

Post-9/11 America, Butler argues, responded to loss with a surge of nationalism and militarism. Rather than confronting grief, the national narrative shifted toward strength, retaliation, and control. Public expressions of mourning were discouraged or redirected into support for military action. This suppression of collective mourning is not accidental; it is a political strategy used to maintain power and suppress dissent.

Ethics of Vulnerability and Interdependence

Rather than seeing vulnerability as a weakness, Butler encourages us to recognize it as a shared human condition. In doing so, we open space for an ethics of interdependence—one in which mutual recognition of grief and loss fosters solidarity rather than division. This vision directly challenges political systems that rely on fear, dehumanization, and violence to sustain control.

Mourning as Resistance

Public mourning, in this context, becomes a radical act. To acknowledge the loss of marginalized lives—to grieve them openly and collectively—is to resist the state's attempt to erase them. Mourning disrupts the machinery of state violence and invites a reevaluation of our social and political responsibilities. Butler reframes mourning not as passive suffering, but as a deeply ethical and political stance.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 2 of Precarious Life is a profound philosophical inquiry into the politics of empathy, recognition, and resistance. For those studying political philosophy, feminist theory, ethics, or critical theory, Butler offers a framework for understanding how vulnerability can be reimagined as a force for justice and change. Her critique of militarism and nationalism remains especially relevant in today's global political climate.

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