Ethical Theories concerning Covid-19

What are the ethics around the coronavirus? What would the different ethical theories have to say about our
rights and responsibilities, both as individuals and as a society, in these times? Is hoarding egoistic or just
selfish? What virtues are required and what vices should be avoided? Social distancing seems like an
obviously utilitarian practice, but what about the economy? What does it look like to treat other people as
ends in this situation and what is and isn’t universalizable as a maxim. Is there a risk to our civil rights with
curfews, quarantines, racial and social stigmatization, and general mass hysteria? How can you care for
yourself, your friends and family, and others?
I want to see the critical reflection, using the theoretical tools I have tried to give you, to consider the
individual and social responsibilities we have at this time. Detail, one-by-one, what each theory requires of
us in our present pandemic. Notice that there is not just one issue, there are many different issues
surrounding this pandemic. You can identify one particular issue and explain how the different theories
would address it or you can claim that the different theories would focus on different coronavirus-related
issues and address them separately.
Theories :
Utilitarianism
Virtue Ethics
Care Ethics
Rights Ethics
Deontology
Egoism