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Abstract
Epidemics and pandemics have profoundly shaped the course of human history. Naming them has ethical consequences because of the value laden in words. Nuances of language can themselves be contagious, influencing attitudes toward people, nations, and other qualities that may be incidental to the initiation or propagation of an infectious disease. A poorly chosen name for an infectious outbreak can divide communities at a time when people should be coming together and collaborating for the sake of the common good. Striving for objectivity in language is helpful, but it is also insufficient, for it omits the ethical framework needed to respond to a pandemic and does not adequately address the meaning of suffering.
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Cite as: William P. Cheshire, Jr., “Ethics of Naming Epidemics,” Ethics & Medicine 36, no. 2 (2020): 71–77.
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About the Author
William P. Cheshire, Jr., MD
William P. Cheshire, Jr., MD, MA, is Professor of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. He is also Senior Fellow in The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity’s Academy of Fellows. In 2019, the Christian Medical & Dental Associations awarded him Educator of the Year. The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the professional organizations with which he is affiliated.