In defence of the selective restriction of liberty during pandemics
10 March 2022
Should lockdowns and other restrictions of liberty during pandemics be imposed on part of the population only? Many people accept that, to protect public health, it is sometimes acceptable, or morally obligatory, to restrict people’s liberties. But there’s a lot of disagreement about how far these restrictions should go, and whom they should apply to: everyone, or certain groups of people only? In this Thinking out Loud interview, Professor Julian Savulescu (Uehiro Chair of Practical Ethics, University of Oxford) defends the view that we should only restrict the liberties of the vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Professor Julian Savulescu
Director, Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics
Oxford Uehiro Centre, University of Oxford
About the Series
Thinking Out Loud provides a series of videos and audio-podcasts produced by Katrien Devolder in which she talks to leading philosophers from around the world on topics related to practical ethics. The podcast and videos are intended for a non-specialist audience.
Katrien is a Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics.
You can watch the videos on the Practical Ethics YouTube Channel or listen on Oxford Podcasts.
