Abstract
This paper presents, defends and applies a conception of public health ethics as
focused on liberty-limiting public health action. This approach has been
persistently criticised, but the criticism is ambiguous between two challenges:
that the focus on liberty makes an objectionable presumption in favour of liberal
values and that the focus on liberty fails to address institutionalised social
injustice. Part One of the paper addresses both challenges to show they can be
met by a nuanced account of a liberty-oriented public health ethics. Part Two
establishes that debates about policy responses to the current Covid-19
pandemic illustrate and vindicate this conception of public health ethics as
focused on liberty-limiting public health action. The discussion then turns to the
methodological question as to how public health policies are to be evaluated,
focusing particular on the role of normative theory in such evaluations. The
methodology of ‘wide reflective equilibrium’ is described and endorsed; the
paper ends with a case study to illustrate this evaluative methodology, focused on
the ethics of Covid-19 immunity passports.
focused on liberty-limiting public health action. This approach has been
persistently criticised, but the criticism is ambiguous between two challenges:
that the focus on liberty makes an objectionable presumption in favour of liberal
values and that the focus on liberty fails to address institutionalised social
injustice. Part One of the paper addresses both challenges to show they can be
met by a nuanced account of a liberty-oriented public health ethics. Part Two
establishes that debates about policy responses to the current Covid-19
pandemic illustrate and vindicate this conception of public health ethics as
focused on liberty-limiting public health action. The discussion then turns to the
methodological question as to how public health policies are to be evaluated,
focusing particular on the role of normative theory in such evaluations. The
methodology of ‘wide reflective equilibrium’ is described and endorsed; the
paper ends with a case study to illustrate this evaluative methodology, focused on
the ethics of Covid-19 immunity passports.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 25-53 |
| Journal | Humana Mente |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 40 |
| Publication status | Published - 27 Dec 2021 |