Moral Maze

Conditions on living in a post-vaccine world


Listen Later

The Covid vaccine has given us a ‘roadmap’ out of the lockdown but it also provides us with a whole new set of moral conundrums. The virus will likely be with us forever, so the question becomes: how will we live with it in the medium and long-term? We’ve all accepted conditions on our daily lives, with the view that they would be temporary, but should we have to get used to them? Downing Street says the idea of a "Covid passport" app is still under review. Should we make the ability to travel, socialise in public or even go to school and work conditional on having been vaccinated? Those in favour, say it’s a pragmatic route to normal life in a world of vaccine hesitancy. Others base their argument on the principles of safety and fairness: there is a good reason to treat people with immunity differently if they are not a risk to others. The 200,000+ people who signed a recent online petition urging the government not to introduce vaccine passports are worried about their impact on civil liberties and social cohesion. Sam Grant from the human rights organisation Liberty said they would, "create a two-tier society where some people can access support and freedoms, while others are shut out - with the most marginalised among us hardest hit." For many, conditionality is an issue of trust, fairness and proportionality; it is part of the give and take of the responsibilities and rights of citizens. In welfare, for example, they believe people should demonstrate their commitment to finding work in order to receive benefit payments. For others, conditionality undermines social cohesion, because it comes with an implicit sense of blaming victims. Rather than further stigmatising people by attaching conditions to their daily lives, they believe we need to understand better why they are not pursuing a particular course of action. What, if any, conditions should be applied to living in a post-vaccine world? With Silkie Carlo, Matthew Oakley, Prof Julian Savulescu and Dr Beth Watts.

Producer: Dan Tierney.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Moral MazeBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

51 ratings


More shows like Moral Maze

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,421 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

370 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,812 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

156 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,665 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

310 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,739 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,075 Listeners

The Bottom Line by BBC Radio 4

The Bottom Line

36 Listeners

The Week in Westminster by BBC Radio 4

The Week in Westminster

29 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,129 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

893 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,065 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,045 Listeners

Any Questions? and Any Answers? by BBC Radio 4

Any Questions? and Any Answers?

39 Listeners

The New Statesman | UK politics and culture by The New Statesman

The New Statesman | UK politics and culture

143 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

82 Listeners

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson by BBC Radio 4

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

98 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,169 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,972 Listeners

The Great Post Office Trial by BBC Radio 4

The Great Post Office Trial

35 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,027 Listeners

The News Agents by Global

The News Agents

909 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics: Leading by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics: Leading

809 Listeners

Radical with Amol Rajan by BBC Radio 4

Radical with Amol Rajan

26 Listeners