Taking care of identity through politeness

Abstract

Insofar as identity is an image, it falls under the domain of politeness, and threats show its need for care. From the viewpoint of Fundamental Rhetoric, it is possible a deeper anthropological understanding of politeness, based on current studies about care, many of them conducted in the field of Care Ethics that recognizes vulnerability – hence the need to be cared for – as inherently human. If humans are “dependent rational animals”, it follows that beyond childhood, elderly, illness, and poverty, dependence also means ordinary life: the need to eat, rest, be transported, dressed, educated, nursed, etc. Our image is vulnerable in the same way.