Ontological and political dimensions of reflection on risk: Risk society and digitalization

Abstract

Given publication raises the question of the role of reflection on risk in the formation of political space and relations of various actors. The author starts from the Hobbesian problem of the social order to define the role of the state in the formation of the space of certainty/security. For this purpose reflection on risk is considered as an ontological principle, that allows political subjects to create a boundary between stabilized knowledge as a valid present and uncertainty as an area of the future with multiple outcomes. The analysis determines various theoretical implications and concepts as a way for understanding the mechanisms of reflection on risk in the practices of various political actors and their relationships (state institutions, social movements, citizens, etc.). In this regard, the author considers the paradigm of cosmopolitanism to determine the possibilities to explore political dimension of risk. The analysis of specific events such as public conflicts and catastrophes makes it possible to identify the limitations of risk control imposed by the state and to determine the level of mass consciousness as a space and a source of multiple risk reflection, which is new could be related with contemporary political populism, irrationality and the actualization of conspiracy narratives as one of the ways to identify and stabilize perceived group or individual risks. The processes of digitalization themselves are considered as a way to reduce risk by managing it through the determination of attributes/ characteristics of objects. On the other hand, digital communication is defined as a new way of existence of publicity, expanding opportunities for reflexivity due to the universal connectivity and fragmentation of audiences united by the perception of risk. This determines the possibilities for evaluation of the deflation of governance as risk/knowledge management and the degree of the gap in risk perception among various actors.