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Maximising Ventilators: Some Ethical Complications
Written by Joshua Parker and Ben Davies One of the impending tragedies of the COVID-19 pandemic is a grave mismatch between the supply of ventilators and the numbers needing them. This situation, as seen in Italy, is predicted to be mirrored here in the UK. Coronavirus can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome for which the…
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Guest Post: Pandemic Ethics-Earthquakes, Infections, and Consent
David Killoren Dianoia Institute of Philosophy Australian Catholic University, Melbourne People often seem to be stubbornly resistant to change. Consider humanity’s collective failure to respond adequately to the climate emergency. Consider the lifelong smoker who won’t quit even after an emphysema diagnosis. Consider the meat-eater who watches Dominion, resolves to go vegan, and then falls…
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The Perfect Protocol? Ethics Guidelines in a Pandemic
Written by Joshua Parker and Ben Davies One question occupying politicians and healthcare workers in the middle of this global pandemic is whether there will be enough ventilators when COVID-19 reaches its peak. As cases in the UK continue to increase, so too will demand for ventilators; Italy has reported overwhelming demand for the equipment…
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Cross Post: Boris Johnson Will Be Receiving The Same Special Treatment Other Patients Do In NHS Intensive Care
Written by Dominic Wilkinson, University of Oxford This article originally appeared in The Conversation In a world where the adjective “unprecedented” has become commonplace, the news of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson being admitted to the intensive care unit of St Thomas’ Hospital with COVID-19 seemed to take it to a new level. There is…
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Why You Should Not (Be Allowed To) Have That Picnic in the Park, Even if it Does Not Make a Difference
Written by Alberto Giubilini (a slightly longer version of this blogpost will appear in the journal Think. Link will be provided as soon as available) It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon, early spring. The kind of afternoon that seems to be inviting you out for a stroll by the river. Maybe have a picnic on…
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What is Your Gender? A Friendly Guide to the Public Debate
What is your gender? A friendly guide to the public debate Brian D. Earp Note: This is a lightly edited transcript of an informal lecture, based on coursework submitted as part of my Ph.D. It was recorded on Whidbey Island, Washington, and published online on January 15th, 2020. A link to the video is here:…
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Oxford Uehiro Prize in Practical Ethics: An Account of Attitudinal Duties Towards Injustice
This essay received an honourable mention in the Graduate Category Written by University of Oxford Student, Brian Wong Injustices are ubiquitous around us. From authoritarian regimes’ crackdown on human rights, to exploitative trafficking of illegal migrants, to human-induced destruction of rainforests upon which indigenous groups depend – injustices are negative states of affairs violating moral…
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The Coronavirus: Signs of Hope?
Written by Neil Levy These are scary times. The death toll from Covid-19 raises hour by hour and in most countries the rate of new infections continues to grow. While most of us know that if we contract the virus the disease will likely be mild for us, we have friends and family who are…