Die berührungslose Gesellschaft

Is our society "overly cuddled," as recently stated in the taz? This book explores what touch means today and describes the dilemma of the late modern individual: they need physical closeness yet want to be protected from harm. A touch can be electrifying and soothing. It conveys intimacy and security, but it can also feel threatening, cause injury, and even provoke disgust. People need touch to thrive. However, by opening themselves up to others, they also become vulnerable. Elisabeth von Thadden highlights the ambivalences of the modern promise of inviolability and the late capitalist pursuit of the perfect body. The fact that bodily harm and unwanted touching are finally being punished today is a significant achievement. Yet, where forced closeness once existed, self-determined loneliness now looms.