DelantyLEQSPaper156.pdf (2.6 MB)
Six political philosophies in search of a virus: critical perspectives on the coronavirus pandemic
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posted on 2023-06-07, 06:59 authored by Gerard DelantyThe Coronavirus (Covid-19) poses interesting questions for social and political thought. These include the nature and limits of the ethical responsibility of the state, personal liberty and collective interests, human dignity, and state surveillance. As many countries throughout the world declared states of emergency, some of the major questions in political philosophy become suddenly highly relevant. Foucault’s writings on biopolitical securitization and Agamben’s notion of the state of exception take on a new reality, as do the classical arguments of utilitarianism and libertarianism. In this paper, I discuss six main philosophical responses to the pandemic, including provocative interventions made by Agamben, Badieu, and Zizek, Latour on the governance of life and death as well as the Kantian perspective of Habermas on human dignity.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
LEQS Paper No. 156, May 2020Publisher
London School of EconomicsPublisher URL
Issue
156Pages
24.0Place of publication
LondonDepartment affiliated with
- Sociology and Criminology Publications
Institution
London School of Economics and Political ScienceFull text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes