Risk

Abstract

Since the last third of the past century, risk has become a prominent feature of modern societies. Some authors even point to its control as the last foundation of the State. It seems that our societies must cope with dreadful risk's consequences. Therefore, risk assessment and the design and implementation of public policies that aim to eliminate or reduce risks are one of the main tasks of any government. Unfortunately, after all this time and in spite of the notorious threat of modern risks, there is no much consensus about what we want to mean when using the word risk. There are many different definitions of the term: some say it is an objective property of the world, some say it is a subjective feeling, some say it is a social construction. Notwithstanding, almost everyone agrees with the necessity of public risk management and regulation. Even if we see risk as an objective phenomenon or as a subjective one, we have to overcome that dichotomy and endorse its paradoxical nature in order to accept its public regulation. This article seeks to underline the paradoxical side of risk and attempts to provide a new definition rooted in that conspicuous characteristic. The logical conclusion from that new definition is that public risk regulation can only be based on consent.