Bodily Ownership and Integrity

The right to bodily integrity is a fundamental human right that aims to protect the human body. It determines what one may do with one’s own body, as well as the bodies of others, and establishes ownership of the body. In this context, an individual’s agency and self-determination may come into conflict with restrictions and rules imposed by the state, religion or the community. As part of “Bodies of Law”, philosopher Esther Neuhann and theatre director, performer and playwright Lina Majdalanie question the status of the body and reflect on what it means to have an intact, unharmed body.

Esther Neuhann – Visiting Professor of Philosophy at Goethe University Frankfurt a.M. – conducts research into political, legal and social issues, critical theory and feminist philosophy, most recently into concepts of the body in law. She is currently developing the concept of ‘embodied integrity’, an alternative and ‘body-affirming’ approach to valuing the individual in liberal democracies, which she will be presenting.

As part of the lecture series, Lina Majdalanie will present a version of her lecture performance, “Appendice”. The starting point is her thwarted wish to be cremated after her death, which is prohibited in Lebanon where funeral rituals are governed exclusively by religious authorities. What alternative ways could she use to achieve her goal, and what role could art play in this?