ABSTRACT
The relationship between science and power, or, more specifically, between scientists and politicians, has been a fundamental element in the COVID-19 pandemic. The role of scientific advisers has been at the heart of the formulation, design, application, and enforcement of public policy. The translation of Dharma into social and, later, legal constructs was the core of precept-abiding compliance in India. It is not State-imposed, but represents an essential part of the creed of social groups and individuals; it thus demonstrates a powerful resilience to social change. PsyOps consist of different techniques, ranging from weakening the ‘spirit’ of enemy soldiers and the trust of civilians in their government, to a well-orchestrated campaign of mis- and disinformation involving the use of the mass media to obstruct the consent-management system of a given country. Machtpolitik, the politics of power, offers countless examples of how the ethical limitations of judgements about life and death can be activated or neglected in the struggle for domination.
