Critical Thinking in Times of Crisis : An Analysis of Zygmunt Bauman’s Theoretical Frame

We are living in times of crisis, at cultural, political, and moral levels. This state of crisis remains among our societies for at least three decades. In this article, we approach the concept of crisis from a review of some works of the Polish sociologist and philosopher, Zygmunt Bauman. As he insisted frequently, also before coining the metaphor of the “liquid modernity,” the changes in the state of things lead to an increasing sense of insecurity. His thesis is that such instability is not necessarily bad. It can be also an opportunity to build a better society. In order to accomplish this goal, it is necessary, first, to identify the root of the crisis, which Bauman finds in the lack of critical sense or ability to question oneself. Second, overcoming the crisis requires reflection upon the issues at stake. According to Bauman, the main issue is the lack of justice in the form of inequity, which needs to be balanced with individual and institutional forms of solidarity. These define the moral priorities to rethink the world we are living in. These principles locate the core of crisis in the moral issue of decision-making and of values, which is the essence of Bauman’s project.

Our Pandemic 2021 Versus 1984—Technology, Interconnectedness, and Social Ineptitude : A Case of History Repeating Itself

A number of reviews of Orwell’s totalitarian tale “1984”—the first filmic sci-fi drama based on the book released in 1956—interpret it in an antisemitism-oriented light. In his symbolic, classic yet timeless cult narrative, Orwell leaves us with a political message and shows how a totalitarian power ruthlessly strips citizens of their individuality, identity, and human value. Narrated as a fable, “1984” is a somber reflection on a utopia turned dystopia, where power falls into the hands of a privileged elite. Fast-forward to 2021 and as COVID-19 impacts the world at large, it has triggered a plethora of new inventions as we operate under new conditions in an increasingly technocratic society. In today’s “New Normal” or era of interrupted realities, “1984” offers many insights. The oppressed are yet again the masses, yet while the minority crushes the majority or the collective in “1984,” our current virus conquers the world without prejudice. With our reality resembling science fiction, we are alienated from one another in real-time yet approach each other virtually. Technology our guiding star, we have gained increased sets of transferrable skills and become technologically savvier by the minute yet may become all the more socially awkward—perhaps even inept. This article makes a sweeping comparison between pandemic overreliance on technology and the future society envisioned in “1984”—Orwell’s fable now stepping away from the page, seeping into our current context, and becoming our reality as we (did not) know it.