Justice, Well-Being, and Civic Duty in the Age of a Pandemic: Why We All Need to Do Our Bit

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-9-2020

Publication Title

Journal of Bioethical Inquiry

Volume

17

First page number:

737

Last page number:

742

Abstract

This article presents an argument related to justice obligations during a pandemic and explores implications of the argument. A just society responds to a serious threat to the well-being of its people such as a viral pandemic to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the well-being of its members. This creates identifiable societal obligations which are discharged by the institutions and individuals within society that are situated to do so. There are therefore identifiable obligations resting on various societal institutions, such as government, churches, schools, and corporate institutions, as well as obligations resting on individuals. Should an institution or individual fail to act in ways consistent with these social obligations, they perpetrate an injustice on society and its members.

Keywords

Justice; Social justice; Well-being; COVID-19; Public health ethics

Disciplines

Bioethics and Medical Ethics

Language

English

UNLV article access

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