Vulnerability, Virtue, and Flourishing in the Rarámuri-Pogótuame

This article examines the relationship between vulnerability, virtue, and human flourishing through the case of the Rarámuri-pagótuame indigenous communities of the Sierra Tarahumara in northwestern Mexico. Drawing on the dialogue between Aristotelian ethics and Alasdair MacIntyre’s account of human beings as dependent rational animals, it explores how practices of reciprocity and mutual care contribute to the achievement of a good human life. Particular attention is given to kórima, a traditional practice often translated as “sharing,” which is interpreted as an expression of just generosity, social interdependence, and communal responsibility. The study argues that vulnerability should not be understood merely as a limitation to be overcome, but as a constitutive dimension of human existence that makes possible the development of the social virtues. More broadly, it suggests that cultural and religious traditions such as that of the Rarámuri-pagótuame offer valuable models of human flourishing grounded in reciprocity, solidarity, and the cultivation of communal goods.