Vulnerability as a Virtue: An Attempt to Transpose the Care Ethic in International Law

Abstract

The utilisation of the concept of vulnerability in international law has risen exponentially. This contribution intends to analyse the issues underlying this phenomenon. Vulnerability is frequently used in a functional manner in order to enhance the protection of individuals. Therefore, even if vulnerability has been initially developed as a non-legal concept, it has now become integrated into legal discourse. As it inevitably supposes the contributions of other disciplines such as moral philosophy and legal sociology, vulnerability reshapes the ways in which individuals are protected by law. Hence, the reconsideration of several concepts, especially individual autonomy and international responsibility, paves the way for better protection of individuals.