The pandemic society

 by Agostino Cera

These pages aim to emphasize the not occasional link among ‘network’, ‘technology’ and ‘pandemic’ as potential characterization of the word ‘society’ (that is, our society). In particular, the paper aims to clarify in what sense the network society, according to its Manuel Castells’ definition, inherently equates to a techno-society or Gestell-society, rather than a mere technological society. The author argues why its constitutive technological vocation could transform such a society into a pandemic society: an ideal incubator of pandemic phenomena. On this basis, the real face of the pandemic society proves to be that of a unary society: a social and epochal framework immunized against the difference, i.e. unable to tolerate any form of authentic otherness.

[online 09/11/2020].