위험 사회의 사회적 특징과 기독교적 성찰

Abstract

The modern society can be characterized as “risk society” in the sense that various risks and disasters become a routine. The risks are immanent in the high technological society. The various natural, social, and ecological disasters drive us into fear and horror. Although some disasters may be seen as natural and inevitable, in many cases, catastrophes are caused by human activities such as the trend to disregard life, the greed of businesses, the incompetence and irresponsibility of the government, and lack of ethics and communality in members of society. Therefore, ethical self-examination and reflection are needed to build a safe society and overcoming a risk society. The social ethical critics and the tasks of Christianity regarding the risk society are as follows. Firstly, in the security-state, the government might turn into a police state that controls strictly the activities of people and restricts the personal freedom in the name of national security and public safety. The churches have to be a protector and facilitator of the human rights and freedom against the government’s oppressive policy. Secondly, against “disaster capitalism” of the power elite and capitalism which abuses disasters as a means of profit, the churches must prevent the privatization of the public value of social safety and realize social justice by eliminating the unequality of risks between the rich and the poor. Thirdly, the insurance system and an ideology of the welfare state to reduce the risks are insufficient and incomplete. The churches have to offer social safety nets to the poor and the underprivileged. Lastly, the expectation of technopia, that the safe society can be established by technological development, is a complete myth. The churches have to cultivate the theological ability to discern and criticize technicism and progressive optimism.