Freedom and viruses

Oberman, Kieran ORCID: 0000-0002-3592-2561 (2022) Freedom and viruses. Ethics, 132 (4). pp. 817-850. ISSN 0014-1704

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Abstract

A common argument against lockdowns is that they restrict freedom. On this view, lockdowns might be effective in protecting public health, but their impact on freedom is purely negative. This article challenges that view. It argues that while lockdowns restrict freedom, so too do viruses. Since viruses restrict freedom and lockdowns protect us from viruses, lockdowns can protect us from the harmful effects that viruses have on freedom. The problem we face is not necessarily freedom versus public health. Sometimes it is freedom itself—or its value or distribution—that provides reason for lockdowns.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2022 University of Chicago Press
Divisions:	LSE
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion
Date Deposited:	09 Jul 2024 09:39
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2024 20:33
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/124142

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