Abstract
In this paper, we discuss the influence of war as a metaphor in the context of the
COVID-19 pandemic. After an introduction to the traditional analysis of the war
metaphor, we address the social consequences of using this metaphor, a topic that
has been widely debated with regard to public communication in the context of
COVID-19. We pay particular attention to a theory that many intellectuals have
raised: the possibility that the use of the metaphor in this context is harmful to a
democratic society because it may lead citizens to accept limited civil liberties and
authoritarian policies. After presenting the extensive literature on the use of the
war metaphor before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the final section of
the paper, we analyse experimental evidence of the effects of this metaphor. In the
conclusion, we hint at open questions and suggest that the current evidence does
not support claims of direct liberticidal influence.
Lingua originale | Inglese |
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pagine (da-a) | 1-23 |
Numero di pagine | 23 |
Rivista | History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences |
Volume | 44 |
Numero di pubblicazione | 2 |
DOI | |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2022 |
Keywords
- COVID-19
- Conceptual Metaphor
- Framing Effect
- Liberty Restrictions
- War Wetaphor