Goodin also adds an explicit normative role to the concept of vulnerability by imposing an ethical duty to safeguard the potentially vulnerable from harm. This role is imperative if the concept of vulnerability is to be anything more than a factual description of an individual’s or a group’s characteristics. Goodin does this by link- ing his account of vulnerability to the “principle of protecting the vulnerable,” which is, essentially, an obligation to protect the vital interests of others. Hence there is a direct link between the classification of someone as being vulnerable, with a requirement on the part of others to protect them from any potential harms.