A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
Pandemic, Democracy, and Freedom (2022)
Hirvonen, O. (2022). Pandemic, Democracy, and Freedom. In G. Schweiger (Ed.), The Global and Social Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic : An Ethical and Philosophical Reflection (pp. 65-81). Springer International Publishing. Studies in Global Justice, 1212. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97982-9_5
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Hirvonen, Onni
Parent publication: The Global and Social Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic : An Ethical and Philosophical Reflection
Parent publication editors: Schweiger, Gottfried
ISBN: 978-3-030-97981-2
eISBN: 978-3-030-97982-9
Journal or series: Studies in Global Justice
ISSN: 1871-0409
eISSN: 1871-1456
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 01/07/2022
Number in series: 1212
Pages range: 65-81
Number of pages in the book: 335
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Place of Publication: Cham
Publication country: Switzerland
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97982-9_5
Publication open access: Not open
Publication channel open access:
Abstract
It has been argued that having “a voice” is central in the context of liberal democracy. Following Philip Pettit (On the people’s terms. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2012), it can be said that having an effective voice is necessary for freedom. Further supporting this, according to Axel Honneth (Freedom’s right. Polity Press, Cambridge, 2014) freedom is the key value of modern liberal institutions. According to Pettit, freedom thus requires that parties to democracy be given an equal voice that is unconditioned and efficacious. Thus, the problems with democratic participation are major wrongs precisely because they are explicit transgressions against freedom. But how to reconcile this with the justifiable and legitimate feasibility limits of decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic? Time-consuming deliberation is not possible in a “state of exception” when decisions must be made quickly.
This paper defends the view that feasibility limits are real and it might well be unrealistic to expect all voices to be heard during the decision-making at a time of crisis. Nevertheless, responses to a pandemic ought to be made in a way that does not forget the multiple, varied voices constituting the public sphere. Examining the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 and responses to it helps reveal the injustices that have been entrenched into democratic institutions. It highlights the voices that are not automatically taken into account even without extreme circumstances. Thus, a pandemic functions as a tragic disclosure of the injustices of the institutional order, a disclosure that should be used to argue for institutional renewal and better representation of underrepresented groups.
Keywords: pandemics; COVID-19; decision making; freedom; restrictions; democracy; justice
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
JUFO rating: 2