La società pandemica

Abstract

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, I will try to clarify in what sense the network society, according to Manuel Castells' definition (1), inherently equates to a techno-society or Gestell-society, rather than a mere technological society (2). I will also try to clarify 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 (3).

Keywords

• covid-19 pandemic
• network society
• philosophy of technology
• manuel castells
• bartleby