In the name of humanity: the government of threat and care

In this volume, editors Ilana Feldman and Miriam Ticktin have drawn together an outstanding collection of essays exploring the concept of ‘humanity’ in a range of contexts and from a rich variety of perspectives. Tracing the categorisation of humanity throughout history in their introductory chapter, Feldman and Ticktin highlight the perennial tension inherent in its definition and use. The ever-shifting boundaries of humanity serve to include and protect even as they reject and threaten those identified as ‘other’. Each of the eleven chapters engages with the fundamental question of what it means to be human, and the implications of possible responses to this for the practice of governance. However, despite the pervasive theme of government— which is explored explicitly in the context of humanitarian law (Richard Ashby Wilson) and aid (Didier Fassin), healthcare (Joao Biehl; S. Lochlann Jain; Adriana Petryna), and the regulation of human interactions with nature (Arun Agrawal; Charles Zerner)—it is the more personal aspect of the human experience that takes centre stage in most chapters, and which offers the deepest insights into that elusive concept: ‘humanity’. It offers readers a multifaceted and open-ended account of humanity, which will inform better governance and more effective research in this field.