Make People want to be Careful

Context: The pandemic will likely stir debate about the various tenets of moral philosophy to determine which one will survive the test of time. 

Justification of various moral philosophies in COVID mitigation

• Libertarianism: As per the libertarian principle, an individual has a natural right over his or her own body, as it is considered private property. 
• However, in the pandemic times, some amount of restrictions such as temporary lockdowns and fines for not adhering to best practices in public places can be justified by legal means. 
• Utilitarianism (J.S.Mill):  is consequentialist ethics which propose that outcomes of actions should seek to maximize ‘the greatest amount of good for the greatest number’, neglecting the means.
• For, E.g. Unless people decide to follow the rules (not out of fear of prosecution, but voluntarily), the chances of achieving the end goal of reducing the virus transmission will be suboptimal, or delayed. 
• Kantianism (E. Kant): In Kant’s views, the means are as important as the end goal itself, and the means should be based on certain moral duties, which ought to be universal in nature. 
• In COVID example, one should be following social distancing or volunteering for tests, because it is his or her moral duty to do so, unconditionally, as the action itself represents good.

Conclusion: Kantianism could emerge the likely winner in the post-COVID scenario, where conventional norms pertaining to economic, social and geopolitical issues will undergo seismic changes in the years to come.