Diabolical perspectives on healthy morality in times of COVID-19

Abstract

PurposeThe paper combines the systems theoretical perspective on the evolution of societal differentiation and the emergence of codes in communication. By combining the approach by Niklas Luhmann with a historical theology on the development of Christian morality split between God and Devil, it recreates a sociological point of observation on contemporary moral forms by a temporary occupation of the retired Christian Devil.Design/methodology/approachThe article combines a Luhmannian systems theoretical perspective on the evolution of societal differentiation with a concept of emerging codes in communication. The latter is based on on the development of a Christian view of morality being split between God and Devil. It establishes a sociological point of observation on contemporary moral forms through the temporary invocation of the retired figure of the Christian Devil.FindingsThe proposed perspective develops a healthy perspective on the exuberant distribution of a health(y) morality across the globe during the pandemic crisis of 2020–21. The temporary invocation of the retired Christian Devil as point of departure in this sociological analysis allows for a disturbing view on the unlimited growth of the morality of health and its inherent dangers of dedifferentiating the highly specialised forms of societal differentiation and organisation.Originality/valueBy applying the diabolical perspective, the analytical framework creates a unique opportunity to observe the moral encodings of semantic forms in detail, while keeping the freedom of scientific enquiry to choose amongst available distinctions in the creation of sound empirical knowledge. This article adopts a neutral stance, for the good of sociological analysis. The applications of the term “evil” to observations of communication are indifferent to anything but itself and its qualities as scientific enquiry.

Relational positionism: a constructive interpretation of morality in Luhmann's social systems theory

“…Luhmann indicates and admits that the moral is reserved for exceptional cases – Luhmann calls these cases pathological – as functional systems cannot resolve the paradoxes of their own codes. Dealing with this paradox is, for Luhmann, a specific task of morality as a system coupled with other systems (see for some examples of links between morality and other systems Clausen, 2022; Laermans and Verschraegen, 2001; Räwel, 2021; Tække, 2022; Žažar, 2022). “Precisely for that reason, society has recourse at these points to moral sensitivity” (Luhmann, 1992, p. 1003).…”

Moral communication observed with social systems theory. An introduction

“…Diabolical perspectives on healthy morality in times of COVID-19 by Clausen (2021) examines the inherent immorality of the so-called good will. If society is observed as a symbolic construction, then what is left as diabolic heritage?…”

Toward a theory of multifunctional liberalism: Systems‐theoretical reflections on the nature of statehood

“…The corresponding intellectual encasement of all function systems would then not only preclude necessarily unsuccessful attempts at direct political interventions, but also act as a resistor preventing politics from intellectual short circuits originating from other function systems. Thus, the state in multifunctional liberalism does not resort to much‐maligned ‘neoliberal’ killer phrases such as ‘the markets demand it’, and it cannot be blackmailed by the forms of health emergency rhetoric that prevailed, for example, in the context of the 2020 coronavirus crisis (Clausen, 2022; Harste & Laursen, 2022; Kolev & Dekker, 2021; Morales, 2021; Žažar, 2022; Zinn, 2020).…”