Some critics contend that humanitarianism contributes to the construction of an archipelago of control that divides those whose humanity is never in doubt from those who can never quite become human.

Humanity, the fable goes, is the pathway to its own salvation. This circular proposition reveals something obvious and troubling: humanitarianism is anthropocentric. This is obvious because humanitarianism champions the unique qualities and significance of human existence. Obvious because humanitarianism seeks to improve distinctly human lives.... See more