Judith Butler's Praise of Dependence: A Philosophical Reflection

In a 2026 essay for doppiozero, Ugo Morelli and Anita Romanello reflect on Judith Butler's concept of dependence, drawing parallels to James Clifford's 1993 book "The Predicament of Culture" (Italian title: "I frutti puri impazziscono"). The essay opens with a reference to William Carlos Williams's 1923 poem "To Elsie," which inspired Clifford's title. The authors contrast terms like opacity, impossibility, exposure, incompleteness, humility, vulnerability, and fallibility with dominant contemporary languages, suggesting that Butler's philosophy offers a critique of purity and certainty. The piece is an opinion-review that engages with Butler's ideas in the context of current global anxieties, emphasizing the value of interdependence and the rejection of totalitarian thinking. The essay was published on August 15, 2026, and is part of doppiozero's ongoing cultural commentary.