ABSTRACT
The article analyzes the reasons for the important effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has become the catalyst for long-overdue decline in the authority of expert knowledge. The author claims that widespread access to information and scientific data results in the collapse of universal and monopolistic expert-scientific hierarchies of knowledge of a large society, controlled by the state. Scientific experts, who acted as the historical heirs of priests and shamans, have lost their privileged access to sacred knowledge, made public by the media and the Internet. This resulted in severe damage to the key function of expertise - legitimization of the political order and power elites. Experts without the status of agents of the state have become indistinguishable from ordinary citizens. The example of discussions between Waxers and Anti-Waxers shows that both sides are able to put forward convincing scientific arguments that rhetorically do not allow the authorities to bring the discussion about the effectiveness of vaccinations down to a completely unobvious dispute between enlightened state experts and uneducated obscurantists. It is in the most developed Western states where one can see a strong civil dissident movement that distrusts or calls into question the disciplinary regimes of collective coexistence, legitimized by the paternalistic rhetoric of concern from political elites. Accordingly, the elites in the background situation of strengthening the practices of heterarchy, post-truth and postmodernism can no longer rely on the usual metanarratives of the Enlightenment, which allowed them to monopolize the discourse of science in the name of progress and unconditional good, building hierarchies of knowledge-power convenient for their priorities. Since science, knowledge and information have long became public domain, the line between elites, experts and citizens in the field of access to science has become almost indistinguishable. The actual political problem is that the situation of collision of different paradigms, opinions and data is exactly the normal state of science, which is now transferred to the field of public discussions following the final secularization of science. Thus, the institution of expert knowledge turns into an unnecessary link in a situation of equal access of all interested parties to scientific data;to an institution that hardly would efficiently perform the functions of scientific legitimation of socially significant decisions in the foreseeable future.
ABSTRACT
The article supports the hypothesis that the COVID‑19 pandemic accelerated and legitimized societal change associated with the decline of representative democracy, mass employment and economic growth. The ideological coordinates of the society of mass labor are becoming obsolete as a relevant model of description. As a result, a decrease in the military, economic and civil-political significance of the majority is observed. The request of precariat groups to restore their usefulness in alternative criteria is expanding, which will eventually bring about a new political and economic normality. Civil protest intensified by the pandemic and the radical practices of minorities are part of the process of a critical revision of the consolidating values in the labor society and transition to a new normality. The conclusion is argued that the growth of "unnecessary people" actualizes demand for non-economic communitarian values and resources provided mainly by the state. The revision of the usual market and labor hierarchies of society is empirically confirmed by the value gap between generations. First, the pessimism in rising generation regarding the prospects of improving standard of living compared to previous generations. Second, the life strategies of generation Z prefer adaptive practices associated with rent-oriented behavior and loyalty to the generation of parents. Third, late modern society is characterized by a decline of political subjectivity. All this limits potential scope of future transformations, mainly related to basic unconditional income and selective expansion of rental access.Alternate :Ð’ Ñтатье обоÑновываетÑÑ Ð³Ð¸Ð¿Ð¾Ñ‚ÐµÐ·Ð°, что Ð¿Ð°Ð½Ð´ÐµÐ¼Ð¸Ñ COVID-19 уÑкорила и легитимировала Ñоциальные изменениÑ, ÑвÑзанные Ñ ÑƒÐ¿Ð°Ð´ÐºÐ¾Ð¼ предÑтавительной демократии, маÑÑовой занÑтоÑти и ÑкономичеÑкого роÑта. ИдеологичеÑкие координаты общеÑтва маÑÑового труда уÑтаревают в качеÑтве релевантной модели опиÑаниÑ. Ð’ результате фикÑируетÑÑ Ñнижение военной, ÑкономичеÑкой и гражданÑко-политичеÑкой значимоÑти большинÑтва. РаÑширÑетÑÑ Ð·Ð°Ð¿Ñ€Ð¾Ñ Ð¿Ñ€ÐµÐºÐ°Ñ€Ð¸Ð°Ñ‚Ð½Ñ‹Ñ… групп на воÑÑтановление Ñвоей полезноÑти в альтернативных критериÑÑ…, которые Ñо временем зафикÑируют новую политичеÑкую и ÑкономичеÑкую нормальноÑÑ‚ÑŒ. УÑиленные пандемией гражданÑкие протеÑÑ‚Ñ‹ и радикальные практики меньшинÑтв ÑвлÑÑŽÑ‚ÑÑ Ñ‡Ð°Ñтью процеÑÑа критичеÑкого переÑмотра конÑолидирующих ценноÑтей общеÑтва труда и перехода к новой нормальноÑти. ÐргументируетÑÑ Ð²Ñ‹Ð²Ð¾Ð´, что роÑÑ‚ «лишних людей» актуализирует Ð·Ð°Ð¿Ñ€Ð¾Ñ Ð½Ð° внеÑкономичеÑкие коммунитарные ценноÑти и реÑурÑÑ‹, обеÑпечиваемые преимущеÑтвенно гоÑударÑтвом. ПереÑмотр привычных рыночно-трудовых иерархий общеÑтва ÑмпиричеÑки подтверждаетÑÑ Ñ†ÐµÐ½Ð½Ð¾Ñтным разрывом поколений. Во-первых, пеÑÑимизмом молодежи в отношении перÑпектив повыÑить жизненный уровень отноÑительно предшеÑтвующих поколений. Во-вторых, жизненными ÑтратегиÑми молодого поколениÑ, предпочитающего адаптивные практики, ÑвÑзанные Ñ Ñ€ÐµÐ½Ñ‚Ð¾Ð¾Ñ€Ð¸ÐµÐ½Ñ‚Ð¸Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð°Ð½Ð½Ñ Ð¼ поведением и лоÑльноÑтью к поколению родителей. Ð’-третьих, позднемодерное общеÑтво характеризуетÑÑ ÑƒÐ¿Ð°Ð´ÐºÐ¾Ð¼ политичеÑкой ÑубъектноÑти. Ð’Ñе Ñто ограничивает потенциальные маÑштабы будущих преобразований, преимущеÑтвенно ÑвÑзанных Ñ Ð±Ð°Ð·Ð¾Ð²Ñ‹Ð¼ безуÑловным доходом и избирательным раÑширением рентного доÑтупа.