The book explores the pervasive insecurity in contemporary life, linking it to the breakdown of security ideals promised by modernity. It argues that in our 'liquid' world, insecurity is not only widespread but also accepted as a norm, yet this acceptance fails to alleviate the accompanying fear. Engaging with Bauman's concepts, it delves into the implications of liquid modernity, making it a valuable resource for scholars and students in sociology, social theory, and politics.
The author explores the growing issue of inequality and its social ramifications globally, suggesting that the ideal of equality is fading amidst a modern crisis. As resources become increasingly concentrated, the book questions whether the decline of mass society will lead to a diminished value placed on equality and individual worth. It raises provocative inquiries about the potential emergence of a society that views equality not as a strength but as a vulnerability, hinting at a shift towards a more fragmented and unequal world.
The exploration of humanity's quest to transcend its limitations delves into the concept of hubris, as understood by the ancient Greeks. The author examines whether these ambitious tendencies could serve as a means of redemption, suggesting that our ability to deviate from established norms may lead to new possibilities and paths for progress. Through this lens, the book invites readers to reflect on the balance between ambition and humility in the pursuit of a better future.
Human civilization is founded on ethical principles, norms of behaviour that have accumulated over time. Perhaps the oldest of ethical principles is the rejection of violence, which includes the respect for life and for the physical and psychological integrity of others. But in some circumstances, violence itself can be regarded as ethical – for example, when it is used by states claiming to act in self-defense. In these circumstances, the need to defend oneself against an enemy can transform war from an unacceptable act into a necessary, socially shared and morally sanctioned choice. And it is when violence becomes ethical that we must begin to fear for our future. In the wake of the pandemic, we are witnessing the growing prevalence of aggression and emotionality in social and political life. We find ourselves living in an increasingly impatient and insecure society which is skeptical of scientific thought and which takes refuge in the irrational. The decline of rationality and the growing prevalence of violence are increasingly common features of a society that has lost touch with the great Enlightenment narrative. We need, argues, Bordoni, to rediscover the rationality we have lost and recuperate the positive side of technology.
Our societies are in transition, spurred on by a pandemic that has disrupted many aspects of the social world we once took for granted. We’ve left behind the “solid modernity” of the 20th century and even the “liquid modernity” so brilliantly analysed by Zygmunt Bauman, but what kind of society is now taking shape around us? In this highly original reflection on the current state of our world, Carlo Bordoni argues that we are on the threshold of “post-society,” a condition in which social distancing becomes the norm, real social relations are diminishing in favour of those mediated by technology, existential loneliness is becoming widespread and we find ourselves voluntarily submitting to new forms of surveillance and control in the hope of increasing our security. Emotions are assuming an increasingly central role in social life, not only because of the growing prevalence of social media which provide platforms for the public expression of emotion, but also because emotions have been freed from the “repression of emotionality” that had characterized modern society. While many of these developments are rooted in broader social transformations, they have been deepened and accelerated by the pandemic, which is propelling us headlong into a brave new world where social relations are sustained without physical contact but with intense communication. This is the new post-social condition: more humanity, less sociality.
Challenging the thought of Zygmunt Bauman on the subject of liquid modernity, where everything has become unstable, precarious and uncertain, Carlo Bordoni (author with Bauman of »State of Crisis«) proposes to look at contemporary society as an »interregnum«, a temporary break with the past. In a condition characterised by anomie, the questioning of democratic achievements and the primacy of an unbridled economy, he offers a new perspective on our social condition. Understanding the interregnum and being aware of its instability and the social degradation that it entails can help us to make the right choices.
Today we hear much talk of crisis and comparisons are often made with the
Great Depression of the 1930s, but there is a crucial difference that sets our
current malaise apart from the 1930s: today we no longer trust in the capacity
of the state to resolve the crisis and to chart a new way forward.
