With the outbreak of Covid-19, our interdependence and vulnerability have been laid bare. A sneeze or a cough can mean life or death. The cessation of spending by some means the loss of income for others. Our fates are bound - directly and indirectly - in innumerable ways.
This much is obvious - or should be. However, to fully recognize our interdependence requires a fundamental rethinking of how we understand ourselves, our institutions, and our ideas of freedom.
The social self.
Much conventional wisdom holds that we are all self-investing “specks” of human capital. “There is no such thing as society,” as Margaret Thatcher put it, just individuals (and maybe families) seeking to maximize our return on investment.
