Some modern scientists tend to interpret the coronavirus pandemic as nature's revenge: with the help of viruses, nature “gives us back” for animal cruelty and environmental crisis. However, if you follow the theory proposed by the French philosopher Georges Bataille back in the 1940s, nature should not be confused with man, it does nothing on purpose. Violence committed by nature (such as an earthquake) is sovereign because it does not pursue any goal. Nature acts beyond humans, which also means beyond good and evil.
What are the conclusions of Georges Bataille based on? What two types of violence did he highlight? What is the planet's balance? And why shouldn’t the actions of nature, such as the spread of the COVID-19 virus, be translated into human language? Oksana Timofeeva, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the European University, answers these and other questions.