Corona Virus: A ‘Virulocratic’ Society, The New Caste System in Town, The Police-Welfare State, Renewed Kinships, Crisis Nationalism, Science over Religion and Malthusian Positive Check

Ever since the COVID 19 spread its dreaded wings over the globe, it has occupied center stage in our minds, society, economy and polity. It can thus be undoubtedly said that in these times of the pandemic, we are nothing but a ‘virulocratic’ society where everything is centered around the pillar of the Corona Virus, much like religion used to be center of theocratic societies of the past. When August Comte, the father of sociology in his thesis Law of 3 stages outline the stages of theocracy, metaphysical stage and empirical society, little would he have imagined such a stage in the magic of time. But that invariably is the nature of a pandemic.

Today, our social interactions and needs are redefined by a new normal due to this deadly virus. In one way, this pandemic virus is much like the Caste system. It creates a value consensus of social distancing akin to the vibes of untouchability in caste but the cause here being the virtuous act of breaking the chain rather than sanctioning of religious scriptures. The ‘New Caste in Town’ is global, not Indian and it is not based on purity and pollution but rather on the notion of infected and non-infected.

The practice of ‘Social distancing’ as often quoted is seen to be the weapon of the state in stopping the spread of virus and bringing it down to health system capacity. The COVID episode is again a reminder of the immense power of state in bringing order and safety to its citizens as part of its social contract obligations.

What is also interesting is the state uses both of its contrasting arms, the police and the welfare wings to restore order in society. One can see this with police personnel eliminating non-essential movement in Italy, with Section 144 imposed in many parts of India and the massive lock down in multiple cities of the world. This muscle power of state is combined with the caring arm of doctors, nurses and volunteers rushing to save lives of millions. It is thus the Police-Welfare State, that as Weber points out is the only entity with power of legitimate violence that is working day and night for its citizens and public health with citizens trading their freedom of movement for the common good of public health.    
  

The State is also today a creator and propagator of new essential values that are required to stop this pandemic. Social distancing and hand washing are 2 such essential ones that have been cultured into society through state sponsored social movements with potent use of social media which the citizens have lapped up understanding the gravity of issue. The ‘Break the Chain Movement’ by Kerala government is an excellent example of such a social movement led by state and actively taken up by citizens.
   

What is thus amply clear today is the ability of this crisis to unite humanity let alone the oft bickering state and citizenry. We have seen videos of emotional Italians and Spaniards singing from their balconies and windows, their national anthems and songs of hope ringing in a kind of ‘Crisis nationalism’ in solidarity with the state, healthcare workers and ultimately the nation. India too is on the verge of such a symbolic solidarity with the Janata Curfew and salute to Corona warriors creating a new idea of nation: one of responsible citizenry and solidarity to healthcare workers and state.

COVID 19 has also some silver linings attached to it despite the humongous hardships it has brought to lives and livelihoods. With the onset of industrial revolution and occupational mobility, sociologists around the world had lamented about the death of kinship. Robin Fox went so far as to say that the modern society is a 'kinless' society.

This virus has forced us to reset our social lives as we distanced socially, bringing back family and households together recreating lost kinships in time of great danger. Social media as a platform has been potent in enhancing kinship connectedness in a time where everyone has a lot of time and everyone is worried about their dear ones. COVID has thus not only brought back households physically but also emotionally and virtual kinships are a manifestation of that.

COVID 19 has also brought back into focus the Science-Religion debate. With doctors, scientists, nurses working around the clock to diagnose, treat and create vaccines and scientific advice on hand washing and distancing provided to the populace, it seems Science has scored a significant victory over religion in such a life and death situation. Max Weber’s contention that religion would soon lose its plausibility structure in front of science driving secularization in modern society is visible in this crisis situation.

The empty streets of Vatican, the disappearance of God Men and Women, empty churches and temples tell the tale that even the religious and the messengers of God have succumbed to the reason, logic and empiricism of science. Yet the streaming of the holy masses through the internet and individual prayers within household illustrate how religion is innovating within the framework of science to maintain its reach over the human mind.

More than 13,000 have already succumbed to this virus with death toll only expected to increase further. This startling fact is a cold reminder of the famous Malthusian prophecy of nature’s positive checks in face of rising population to restore the balance of nature. The Egyptian Geese Herd walking along runway at Israel Airport and Otters having the time of their lives in the sun of Singapore is evidence of how nature is reclaiming its spaces grabbed by humankind post the ‘positive check’ of COVID 19.

These times of frequent human death are also an eye opener to the often overlooked system of stratification in society on the basis of age. The callous remarks of ‘only the aged are dying, it is not so fatal’ is evidence much of the ageism that our society reeks of and the gross lack of empathy for the elderly. This reflects the blurring boundaries between a natural inequality and how that becomes a social hierarchy with strong value consensus on the nature of age hierarchy.

These are very testing times for humanity and human civilization. For long, we the human race have felt powerful and invincible. Today, we realize our vulnerability and the power of nature. But it is indeed heartening that this virus enables us to appreciate what we thought as the most ordinary and normal- our family, our relationships, our nation, the welfare state and the power of science.

Corona virus has indeed redefined the social fabric and our social interactions in ways that we never imagined. Several new ‘Me’s are created from the impulsive ‘I’s as the Mind, Self and Society that Mead outlined is nourished by the new reservoir of knowledge that science provides- to be socialized yet to be distant, that is the new norm. It is this ensemble of changed micro interactions at ground level that is transforming our society without choice into a ‘virulocratic’ one.