Giorgio Agamben Thrown Down to Earth : The Case of the Ethics of Dutch Epidemic Politics [Review of: G. Agamben (2021) Where are we now? : the epidemic as politics; and of: WRR, KNAW (2021) COVID-19: Expertvisies op de gevolgen voor samenleving en beleid]

This article reflects on Giorgio Agamben’s work Where Are We Now? The Epidemic as Politics (2021), a collection of essays examining the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of the state of exception. Agamben argues that liberal democracies are shifting towards normalising the state of exception, leading to an erosion of democratic principles. While his insights offer a critical perspective on state power and public health, his analysis fails to address the role of corporations, particularly Big Pharma and Big Tech, in producing and regulating pandemic measures such as vaccinations and QR codes. This omission overlooks the growing power of corporations, which increasingly act like sovereign entities. Agamben’s critics argue that his reflections remain overly abstract and pessimistic, particularly in the context of concrete policy measures. This article attempts to bridge Agamben’s theories with expert insights from Dutch institutions such as the WRR and KNAW, but finds that translating his abstract critiques into practical policies diminishes their appeal. Nonetheless, the role of philosophy and ethics, as argued here, is not to offer solutions but to critically interrogate the ethical implications of policy decisions.