The Ta Pragmata collection has just released the book Ethics, Technology, and Pandemics, edited by Maria João Cabrita and Ângelo Milhano, which brings together philosophical reflections on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on social, political, and technological relations. The book, which stems from the International Colloquium held at the University of Beira Interior in September 2022, explores ethical and social issues that emerged during the period of lockdown and social distancing.

In their introduction, the editors highlight how the health crisis not only altered daily habits but also accelerated the digital transition, imposing an increasing dependence on technology to maintain social interactions. The editors note that the pandemic exposed the technological rationality adopted as a civilizational paradigm, revealing inequalities and structural problems in the way human lives are treated. "The pandemic highlighted the disparity between the value placed on the life of a minority and the disregard for the lives of the majority," they state, reflecting on the social tensions exacerbated by the health crisis.

The book is divided into two main parts. The first, Ethics, Pandemic, Policies and Social Justice, focuses on issues of social justice and ethics during the pandemic, with contributions from authors such as Alexandra Abranches, Javier Gil, Beatriz Rayón, Maria João Cabrita, and Marcello Boemio. The second part, Ethics, Pandemic and Technology, explores the impact of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in the fight against the pandemic, addressing issues of privacy, technological governance, and the limits of teleworking, with texts by Ângelo Milhano, Bernhard Sylla, Joaquín Mutchinick, Lorenzo De Stefano, and Tiago Mesquita Carvalho.

With a critical and multidisciplinary approach, the book offers a much-needed reflection on the ethical and social dilemmas that marked the pandemic context, proposing an insightful look at the challenges still faced in contemporary digital society. "More important than understanding the specific circumstances of the pandemic, is recognizing that the philosophical issues it raised are timeless," the editors conclude.

Ethics, Technology, and Pandemics is available in open access format, with a downloadable version on the PRAXIS - Centre for Philosophy, Politics, and Culture website, allowing a broad audience to access the valuable contributions of the authors.

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