Paura del virus e angoscia pandemica: passioni e politica all’alba del XXI secolo

Contemporary political thought has become increasingly aware of the role of passions and emotions: fear and anguish to the fore. The difference between the two need not make us underestimate their continuous interaction nor the process of transformation they have been subjected to in the history of western civilization. The chaotic response to the recent pandemic suggests that we may be confronted with the necessity of a new approach to the study of emotions and their specific relevance in the realm of politics. Fatigue, anxiety and the sense of inadequateness which currently strongly characterize our every-day lives, may in this circumstance prove to be interesting signals and help us understand the necessity of a new political approach to the challenges we are confronted with in our near future.