Critical Thinking in Times of Crisis: An Analysis of Zygmunt Bauman’s Theoretical Frame

Abstract

We are living in times of crisis, at cultural, political, and moral levels. This state of crisis remains among our societies for at least three decades. In this article, we approach the concept of crisis from a review of some works of the Polish sociologist and philosopher, Zygmunt Bauman. As he insisted frequently, also before coining the metaphor of the “liquid modernity,” the changes in the state of things lead to an increasing sense of insecurity. His thesis is that such instability is not necessarily bad. It can be also an opportunity to build a better society. In order to accomplish this goal, it is necessary, first, to identify the root of the crisis, which Bauman finds in the lack of critical sense or ability to question oneself. Second, overcoming the crisis requires reflection upon the issues at stake. According to Bauman, the main issue is the lack of justice in the form of inequity, which needs to be balanced with individual and institutional forms of solidarity. These define the moral priorities to rethink the world we are living in. These principles locate the core of crisis in the moral issue of decision-making and of values, which is the essence of Bauman’s project.