Abstract
This paper examines two key questions to put the COVID-19 pandemic into
a broader perspective: What does our past tell us about pandemics? What
can it teach us for the future? Moreover, the paper considers three
independents but interconnected analytical perspectives. The first one
is about advancing our species on the planet and examining the great
technological transformations from a historical viewpoint. The second
perspective consists of a reflection on food taboos and their
relationship to biodiversity issues and zoonotic processes. The third
perspective involves a thoughtful exploration of big men,
multilateralism, and the society of risk. In addition to overcoming the
pandemic’s economic impact, the main challenges of the post-COVID-19
world will be overcome by its ideological implications and the need to
strengthen both multilateralism and scientific and technological
cooperation solidarity among people.