Leviathan, social contract in Public Health: about the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023)

Abstract

This paper examines the tension between individual rights and collective interests in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on the theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. It highlights technological progress in the contemporary era, with a focus on biomedicine, molecular genetics, nanotechnology, and cybernetics, and its impact on creating an interconnected and technologically dependent society. The paper explores how these advancements have transformed human life, leading to phenomena such as cultural globalization and new forms of inequality. The text centers on the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning with the initial outbreaks in Wuhan and the global response to the health, economic, and social crisis. It addresses the tension between individual rights and collective interests, analyzing the perspectives of Hobbes and Locke. Hobbes, in Leviathan, proposes a social contract where individuals relinquish rights to ensure collective security, while Locke, in his Second Treatise of Government, advocates for the protection of individual rights and private property. Thus, we explore how these philosophical theories apply to the management of the pandemic. On one hand, restrictive measures reflect the priority of collective security, aligning with Hobbesian vision. On the other hand, approaches that emphasize responsibility and individual rights follow Locke's philosophy. The ethical and political dilemmas arising from balancing collective security with individual rights, especially in the context of crises like COVID-19, are discussed.