ABSTRACT
Each human being is extensively dependent on other people, basic truth that does not always get the attention it deserves. The fact and implications of dependency, and our interconnectedness, can be lost sight of, or obscured, by an outlook characterised by an emphasis on individual autonomy and personal independence. The fact of universal dependency should be seen alongside another basic truth: that the dependencies of some people are much greater than those of others, and to the point that their capacity for autonomy and independence is significantly curtailed. 'Dependency' is not a simple idea; dependency in one respect may go along with interdependence or independence in others. Even profound dependency allows for reciprocity in personal relationships that less dependent members find inexhaustibly valuable and fulfilling. Eva Kittay suggests that 'dependency', in the sense that someone is unable to reciprocate in any way at all, is rare and likely to apply only to those persons who are comatose or unconscious.
