Round table: A Pandemic of Polarisation

Round table: A Pandemic of Polarisation

In May 2022, EARS will be organising two round tables on the topic of A pandemic of polarisation.

COVID-19 has confronted us with many dilemmas, as well as with increasing polarisation. Societal fractures have become more visible and proved to be resistant to rational argumentation. What post-modernism had already shown in the domain of philosophy, the fragmentation of rationality, became increasingly visible in society: everyone created their own truth. This led to patterns of polarisation that were grafted on already existing currents of societal opposition. What became visible was hard polarisation between scholars and physicians on the one hand and larger parts of the population on the other hand. The latter grew into a large protest movement as they were joined by groups who already protested against the government, viz, societal structures. Often right-wing movements, but also groups such as the ‘gilets jaunes in France. Secondly, there was also a growing opposition between those who were vaccinated and those who were not. Finally, polarization crystallised around the choices made in hospitals: why did Covid always take precedence over other extremely serious illnesses? We will discuss these and more topics during our online round tables.

This is a members-only event.