Lost words and scattered thoughts : notes on autonomy, corporeality, consent and care

Abstract

In traditional and pedagogical classifications, the first distinction typically drawn within the broad spectrum of human needs is that between primary and secondary needs. Primary needs pertain to material survival, while secondary needs are associated with social and cultural development, encompassing moral gratification, recreational interests, consumption, and intellectual pursuits. A further distinction has often been made between historically contingent needs, that is, those shaped by specific temporal and social contexts, and those that are universal, intrinsic to the human condition across all historical periods and geographical locations. [excerpt]