1487 Biopolitics and Epidemiology during COVID-19 Pandemic

Zagozdzon, Pawel

FOCUS OF PRESENTATION: During pandemic the social life has been transformed by new regimes of social distancing, face masks, and altered online education. The aim of this presentation is to review the recent philosophical concepts of biopolitics that bring an additional perspective to the COVID-19 pandemic. FINDINGS: The most important critical response was brought from the philosopher and cultural theorist Giorgio Agamben who in the book entitled “Where are we now? Epidemic as politics” evoked again, known from his previous writings, the figure of bare life. The epidemic restrictions have shown, that humanity no longer believes in anything but bare existence, to be preserved as such at any cost. There were no reliable risk-benefit analysis that took into account all other aspects of human condition except statistical data on positive test results or “asymptomatic illness”. The concepts of another Italian philosopher Roberto Esposito became more than relevant during pandemic. In his book entitled “Immmunitas: the Protection and Negation of Life” he assumes that the more we feel at risk of being infiltrated and infected by foreign elements, the more the life of the individual and society closes off within its protective boundaries, reminding us of the situations during lockdowns. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: According to biopolitical interpretation of epidemic, the risk of infection can be considered as a “pretext” for ramping up political control on citizens. KEY MESSAGES: Epidemiologists should be aware what are the consequences of the decisions they recommended for governments when the social relations and the power structure are affected.