A New Phenomenology of Risk and Uncertainty

This book develops a novel theoretical-interpretative framework for understanding how individuals and societies deal with risk and uncertainty, drawing on Hermann Schmitz’ New Phenomenology. In the context of contemporary challenges, such as pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, and climate-change related extreme weather events, the management of risk and uncertainty has become a defining issue of our times. Moving beyond rationalist and calculative models, the book demonstrates the central role of trust, intuition, feelings, hope, and faith in navigating risk and uncertainty. These modes are particularly salient at a time when scientific expertise is contested, and institutional trust is fragile. The book introduces an analytical model that conceptualizes three interacting modes of rational, non-rational, and in-between reasoning, showing how they align, overlap, or become disconnected in practice. A New Phenomenology of Risk and Uncertainty makes a significant contribution to the sociology of risk and uncertainty, risk governance, and risk communication, offering a strong conceptual foundation for empirical research on how risk and uncertainty are experienced and managed in a volatile world.