COVID-19 Crisis

Szenarien und Aussichten für die Zukunft – Wie kann es weitergehen?

The COVID-19 crisis is not only a natural phenomenon: it is also a social one. It underscores how vulnerable individual countries are, and whether and how they are able to respond to the pandemic.

Beginning in spring 2020, society, politics, media and the economy have been under unprecedented scrutiny: Do they have the strength to act appropriately? The findings on the current situation are crucial: Which crisis are we facing? What aspects of society are affected? What have we learned about our society since the outbreak? What images have changed, and can this have a lasting effect?

It is clear that, in economic terms, this is the biggest crisis in 100 years. The question of how things can continue – not only economically – moves many: What scenarios are possible? What is realistic? What could happen in the future? Are there also indications of positive developments?

We invite people from the fields of philosophy, sociology, economics and media studies to take part in a public discussion of these questions. Experts will present their views, challenge each other and offer suggestions for the future of our society.

Concept: Walter Ötsch (AT)
Moderation: Renata Schmidtkunz (DE)

Timetable

Program

What Type of Crisis is This?

Walter Ötsch (AT)

COVID-19 Crisis: How could/can society change?

Walter Ötsch, Renata Schmidtkunz, Antonia Birnbaum, Evelyn Bodenmeier, Leonhard Dobusch, Sighard Neckel

Walter Ötsch develops two scenarios for the future of society: a positive and a negative one. He will give an overview of the possible ideas for the future, both positive and negative, that were considered in the workshop. Together, obstacles and options for the future are discussed.

COVID-19 Crisis: What options does civil society and social media have?

Walter Ötsch, Renata Schmidtkunz, Leonhard Dobusch, Evelyn Bodenmeier

We invite people from the fields of philosophy, sociology, economics and media studies to take part in a public discussion. Experts will present their views, challenge each other and offer suggestions for the future of our society.

COVID-19 Crisis: Future Scenarios

Walter Ötsch, Renata Schmidtkunz, Sighard Neckel, Antonia Birnbaum

The coronavirus shock will change society and it will not be possible to return to the “normal state of affairs” we had before the crisis. Two scenarios are outlined: (1) In the negative scenario, the coronavirus shock will bring little change on the surface, but will, in fact, fundamentally reshape the political shell that surrounds capitalism. This is explained in analogy to developments after the 2008 financial crisis, in which the elites who caused the crisis were not challenged and held accountable. In this thoroughly realistic scenario, a new authoritarian form of capitalism can emerge, in which the new power for the states is also expanded into new forms of surveillance. (2) The positive scenario ties in with many historical experiences in which the world was improved after crises. We are currently experiencing a redesign of political action that contains positive moments such as new forms of talking collectively about fears, new forms of solidarity with strangers and the experience of how important and powerful politics can be. Perhaps in this scenario it may be possible to combine the corona shock with concerns about the coming ecological crises and to take effective steps to mitigate them.