“Most of us are in favour of freedom of choice, as long as those choices don’t hurt someone else. But, as Hamlet would say, there’s the rub.”

— Dr. Elliot Malamet

Should mask-wearing during a pandemic be universal public policy or a personal decision?

This episode introduces ‘What Would You Do?’ a new Living Jewishly podcast by Dr. Elliott Malamet focused on questions of ethics relevant to our everyday lives.

This episode centers on a topic that has been hotly debated over the past year, sparking protests, violence, and countless conversations: what happens when public health policy seems to infringe on individual agency and choice?

Our society is experiencing a huge split in opinion over mask wearing, with one side arguing for the importance of civil liberty in democratic societies and the other side drawing the line at personal freedoms when one’s actions can harm others.

Anti-maskers often appeal to science and claim that masks are ineffective, motivated by what they see as infringements on their own personal freedoms.

And therein lies the rub: when personal freedoms result in harm to others, where do we draw the line?

When it comes to masks and morality, should individuals be able to opt-out of measures that protect the lives of those around them? And, conversely, should we be heaping praise on people for simply choosing to behave in a minimally ethical way?

To answer these questions, Dr. Malamet looks at a Florida anti-masking trial, an Italian flu vaccination story, and the work of philosopher John Stuart Mill.

This‌ introductory ‌episode of ‘What Would You Do?’ discusses:‌ ‌

• Why we as a society are so hesitant to impose coercive policies, even when they’re designed to save lives?
• How might we apply the philosophy of John Stuart Mill to the modern act of mask-wearing?
• What kind of a world do we create when we consider basic morality to be newsworthy?

“In today’s world, just doing the ordinarily right thing is apparently a cause for celebration.”

— Dr. Elliot Malamet