Krisis as a word has two meanings. The Greek origin, krisis, which means “that which stands out”, refers to a dramatic vision of the crisis. As the philosopher and sinologist François Jullien argues, this is the conception adopted by Europeans. For the Chinese, the word is more open: it is not tragic, but strategic. It covers the joint idea of danger and opportunity; if we know how to seize this opportunity, we can find a way out. In the interview with La Vie, François Jullien puts words on the current health crisis and opens up ways to overcome it.
https://www.lavie.fr/idees/debats/francois-jullien-le-commun-se-construit-cest-politique-1535.php
This article is excerpted from the special issue of La Vie “Renaissances. Comment se relever des grandes crises”, on newsstands on August 6, 2020.