Some Philosophical Reflections About the Coronavirus

the Han-Harari Controversy and the Ontological Problem of Covid-19

Abstract

In the first part, a reflection on Coronavirus is proposed as a disease classified as a “pandemic” and that affects the whole world without distinction, breaking the barriers of nationalism. Two of the most important opinions about the Coronavirus and its effects are examined: Byung-Chul Han's and Yuval Noah Harari's. It seeks to contrast these two points of view, highlighting the advantages and risks that may derive from the indiscriminate algorithmic control of individuals (techno-information), as well as the advantages and risks of biological and genetic control (bio-information). In the second part, the ontological problems of Covid-19 are addressed to establish whether it is a living or inert biosystem, while the Coronavirus disease is examined as the state of a biological system, a person, depending on the values of certain functions in accordance with established laws. It warns of the categorical error of confusing the cause of the disease with the disease itself.