In this episode, we discuss the problems of surveillance and privacy of citizens during the modern day and the coronavirus pandemic, and the roles governments and companies play in tracking and using our data. We discuss the Social Contract as described by Hobbes and Rousseau as well as Machiavelli, the public interest and the idea of political obligation; in addition to 'The Science' vs science.  

Many thanks to Ed Shepherdson for his appearance and insight to this episode!   

Time Stamps: 01:22 - Pandemic Surveillance - Y. N. Harari 

18:33 - Political Philosophy and Social Contracts 

21:05 - Hobbes and State of Nature 

31:22 - Rousseau and Machiavelli 

35:32 - Political Obligation 

40:33 - Hume and consent theory 

44:57 - 'The Science' vs science  

Sources: 

Yuval Noah Harari: the world after coronavirus | Free to read: https://www.ft.com/content/19d90308-6858-11ea-a3c9-1fe6fedcca75 

The Economist: The Coronopticon 

The Economist: Big Government in Crisis 

The Economist: Tailored Lockdowns - The Next Step? 

B. Russel: A History of Western Philosophy:  https://archive.org/details/westernphilosoph035502mbp https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Western-Philosophy-Routledge-Classics/dp/0415325056/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37O8EMQ6K83TT&dchild=1&keywords=a+history+of+western+philosophy&qid=1592497778&sprefix=a+history%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1 

G. Schubert: The Public Interest: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Public_Interest.html?id=XQGFAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y 

Political Obligation - Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/political-obligation/ 

D. D. Raphael: Problems of Political Philosophy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Problems-Political-Philosophy-D-Raphael/dp/0333498593/ref=sr_1_1?crid=270LERAOAV7YE&dchild=1&keywords=problems+of+political+philosophy&qid=1592497958&sprefix=problems+of+pol%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-1 

The Sunday Times: In Bed with the Supermodellers: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/supermodeller-neil-ferguson-should-we-trust-his-science-wsmrgtz23  

Music:  Nocturne in B Flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 1: "A Madame Camille Pleyel" · François Chaplin  Chopin: Nocturnes  ℗ 2013 Zig-Zag Territoires ℗ Anima Eterna  Released on: 2010-03-01  Composer: Frédéric Chopin