The Legitimization of Violence

In exceptional circumstances (and the COVID-19 pandemic certainly was such an exceptional circumstance) many of the little balances and equilibria of social life are broken. One can then see how fragile the ethical norms that supposedly hold up our societies are, and on the other hand the fears and violence that are hidden in normal circumstances emerge into the light. That is the theme of this book, as controversial as it is interesting. Prof. Dr. Gerardo López Sastre University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain The experiences from the Covid-19 pandemic have shown how seriously the freedoms and fundamental rights of individuals are at risk when governments cannot resist the temptation to respond to a health crisis with repressive measures that defy ethical and social norms previously accepted as immutable. The authors of this book express their deep concern about the increasing drift towards totalitarianism, even in democratic societies, under the pressure of mass panic fueled by politics and the media. Prof. Dr. Marco Kunz Université de Lausanne, Switzerland