A political theory of the victim

Abstract

Abstract Paying for lives—i.e. making concessions with one’s own interests either short term or long term in order to save lives—is the main trait of a philanthropic order. It is a facet of the state that can coexist with patriarchal power within one single state unit. While doing so, in the context of philanthropism, the liberal state interacts with the community and the market when weighing lives. Philanthropy is often thought to be the domain of private institutions and individuals who ‘do good’. This chapter shows that this need not always be the case, as states may also decide to display ‘philanthropic power’ to which the material equivalence to lives lies at core. While discussing the issue of reparations and notably the case of the 9/11 reparations claims, this chapter addresses the issue of non-commensurability of goods and values.