Philosophy of the Covid-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has brought philosophical questions about morality, politics, and bioethics into sharp relief. These include questions about how to balance personal freedom and collective interests, how to allocate medical resources, and issues of justice in the treatment of ¿essential workers,¿ among other topics. This class provides a setting for in-depth, group discussion of these questions and more. It will bring together 10-20 students to read articles, hear from guest lecturers, and deliberate about these issues. The goal is to engage students in philosophy as an accessible, interpersonal practice of questioning concepts and refining our beliefs about the world around us. Prior study of philosophy is not needed. Although rooted in philosophy, this class will examine topics through the lens of economics, public policy, law, psychology, and more. Readings are drawn from both formal texts and thought-pieces/op-eds from mainstream publications. To apply for the class, please fill out this form by Friday September 4th, 2020 at 11:59pm PST https://forms.gle/iqtuQLLRuUv6V5cK7.