70 - Ethics in the time of Corona

Like almost everyone else, I have been obsessing over the novel coronavirus pandemic for the past few months. Given the dramatic escalation in the pandemic in the past week, and the tricky ethical questions it raises for everyone, I thought it was about time to do an episode about it. So I reached out to people on Twitter and Jeff Sebo kindly volunteered himself to join me for a conversation. Jeff is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Affiliated Professor of Bioethics, Medical Ethics, and Philosophy, and Director of the Animal Studies M.A. Program at New York University. Jeff’s research focuses on bioethics, animal ethics, and environmental ethics. This episode was put together in a hurry but I think it covers a lot of important ground. I hope you find it informative and useful. Be safe! You can download the episode here or listen below. You can also subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and many over podcasting services (the RSS feed is here). Show NotesTopics covered include: Individual duties and responsibilities to stop the spreadMedical ethics and medical triageBalancing short-term versus long-term interestsHealth versus well-being and other goodsState responsibilities and the social safety netThe duties of politicians and public officialsThe risk of authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic valuesGlobal justice and racism/xenophobiaOur duties to frontline workers and vulnerable members of societyAnimal ethics and the risks of industrial agricultureThe ethical upside of the pandemic: will this lead to more solidarity and sustainability?Pandemics and global catastrophic risksWhat should we be doing right now?  Some Relevant LinksJeff's webpagePatient 31 in South KoreaThe Duty to Vaccinate and collective action problemsItalian medical ethics recommendationsCOVID 19 and the Impossibility of MoralityThe problem with the UK government's (former) 'herd immunity' approachA history of the Spanish Flu #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Subscribe to the newsletter