Making Sense of 'Public' Emergencies

Abstract:     
In this article, I seek to make sense of the oft-invoked idea of ‘public emergency’ and of some of its supposedly radical moral implications. I challenge controversial claims by Tom Sorell, Michael Walzer, and Giorgio Agamben, and argue for a more discriminating understanding of the category and of its moral force.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 26

Keywords: Emergencies, public emergencies, supreme emergencies, roles, duty to rescue, emergency assistance, governments, governance, states, liberalism, public goods, rule of law, declaration, Katrina, Sorrell, Walzer, Agamben

JEL Classification: K14

working papers series