Michael Selgelid on Infectious Diseases

Aug 22, 2009

Can we infringe individual rights to promote public health? Should, say, people be allowed to decide for themselves when they are too infectious to get on a plane?

Can we infringe individual rights to promote public health? Should, say, individuals be allowed to determine for themselves when they are too infectious to get on a plane? What happens when an individual contracts a new disease that is of unknown virulence? How do we deal with patients who don’t take their prescriptions correctly and risk allowing dangerous pathogens to mutate?

These urgent questions are the domain of the bioethics of infectious disease. On this episode of Public Ethics Radio, we are aided in the search for answers by the philosopher and tuberculosis expert Michael Selgelid.

You may also like

JUN 17, 2025 Podcast

Empowerment, Ownership, & Agency: Building an Inclusive AI Future, with Jimena Viveros

Lawyer and AI expert Jimena Viveros explores why bridging the digital divide between the Global South and North is both a moral and economic imperative.

I'm Still Here poster. Credit: VideoFilmes/RT Features/MACT Productions/IMDB.

JUN 4, 2025 Article

Ethics on Film: Discussion of "I'm Still Here"

This review of the Brazilian Oscar-winning 2024 film "I'm Still Here" explores ethical issues surrounding Brazil's 20th century military dictatorship and parallels to today.

MAY 20, 2025 Podcast

Character not Compliance, with Edward Brooks

Oxford's Dr. Edward Brooks joins "Values & Interests" to discuss how embracing ethics can unlock better thinking, relationships, and outcomes in our personal and professional lives.

Not translated

This content has not yet been translated into your language. You can request a translation by clicking the button below.

Request Translation