The essential–expendable paradox: Moral distancing and the biopolitics of crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a stark contradiction in neoliberal societies: workers deemed ‘essential’ for economic functioning were simultaneously treated as ‘expendable’ during crises. This study conceptualizes this Essential–Expendable Paradox through the dual lenses of moral distancing and biopolitics, examining how societal actors (businesses, state institutions, and the public) rationalized systemic violence against migrant workers in India during the crisis. Drawing on media reports, public discourse, and institutional responses, we identify three moral distancing mechanisms—metamorphosis, de-identification, and scaling-down—that function as biopolitical technologies, sorting lives into categories of care and abandonment. These mechanisms normalize structural inequality by reducing ethical responsibility to market logic and allowing sovereign power to act selectively. Our findings contribute to theories of moral distancing, biopolitics, and neoliberal governmentality, showing how crisis moments reinforce structural hierarchies and reshape societal perceptions of whose lives are grievable, governable, or expendable.