Pandemics and Wars

About: Pandemics and wars, both constants of historical evolution, have taught us that we must take care of ourselves; that we must value peace and science; that we must constantly seek solutions for solace and harmony. However, it is now, in the 21st century, when the values of knowledge have reached impressive levels, when technology has improved every field of activity, when our medical systems are extremely advanced, and when wars are carried out cybernetically, causing virtual victims, that we have seen not only the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing roughly 6.5 million deaths, but also the outbreak of a conventional war in Ukraine, where tanks, machine guns and soldiers are causing real casualties. How could this have happened? And, more importantly, what can we learn from it? The two volumes published by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization under the title “The Post-Pandemic World between War and Peace” constitute a testimony of how the written and spoken word – our instrument of choice – has helped us fashion a form of intellectual solidarity in spite of imposed isolation, aiding us in overcoming the threat of disease and the fear of death, in leading us to imagine a better and more equitable world of the future.  Read more>>>