THE EFFECTS OF THE STATE OF EXCEPTION FOR PANDEMIC DEMOCRACIES: RECONFIGURATIONS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE SPHERE 135-150

Abstract

In this article, I will analyze the concept of the state of exception proposed by Giorgio Agamben and its application to contemporary societies. The global pandemic declared in March 2020 due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus has prompted states to enact a series of special laws and lockdown measures, leading to numerous questions. As Agamben argues, this period is becoming increasingly common in the modern world, and there is a risk that the state of exception could lead to an indistinction between democracy and totalitarianism. In addition, Badiou's vision of a moment that is equivalent to war renders it difficult to differentiate between the public and the private sphere. The central thesis of this article is that, during the pandemic, there is a reconfiguration of the two spheres, possibly resulting in a reversal of them. In the second part of the paper, I will examine how the public sphere is tending towards becoming private and the private sphere towards becoming public, developing Hannah Arendt's philosophy project. Lockdown measures have restricted access to many public areas, and we can observe a transformation of private places with limited access. At the same time, isolation at home permits the private sphere to be accessed by all via technological means, allowing people to take part in collective activities directly from their homes. In the last part of the article, I will analyze the potential hazards of such a transmutation, demonstrating that human validation is dependent on physical contact with others.