Covid-19: The Enlightenment Philosophers Agree
By: Harshita Rai
The COVID-19 pandemic struck the world in 2020 just 11 years after the last major global outbreak. Since then, it has sickened more than 339 million people and claimed the lives of more than 5.5 million (World Vision). Our government serves many purposes such as providing leadership, public services, national security, and economic assistance. Their job is to maintain law and order so our society can function properly. They are responsible for protecting the natural rights of citizens while promoting common welfare. Some of the most influential philosophers have agreed that to have a legitimate government, the people must give their consent to be governed. The enlightenment philosophers would approve of the way the government has handled the Covid-19 pandemic because of the upholding of the social contract and the maintenance of the common good.
The Enlightenment philosophers would have approved of the government’s response to Covid-19 because it supported the social contract created by John Locke. For example, “The CDC, a federal agency, has played an essential role in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, working 24/7 to protect our nation’s health and ensure state and local public health partners have the resources, guidance, and scientific expertise to respond” (CDC). The Harvard T.H. Chan school of public health released a survey that revealed that 77% of the 1305 respondents trust the health recommendations made by the CDC (Simmons-Duffin). The social contract explains that to gain protection, people should agree to live under a government and give it the power to make and enforce laws (We The People 4). The vast majority of people have consented to follow the CDC’s guidelines and have placed their whole trust in them to protect themselves and others from the virus. Most have agreed to and supported the decisions made by the CDC such as quarantine periods and vaccination recommendations. This clearly shows that the actions taken by the government and the approval given by the citizens agree with John Locke’s social contract. Other concepts which were also promoted during the government’s response were Montesquieu’s idea of the common good.
The second reason that the Enlightenment philosophers would have approved of the government’s response to Covid-19 is because it promoted Montesquieu’s concept of the common good. For example, “President Biden’s Executive Order, Promoting COVID-19 Safety directed applicable agencies to take action to require mask-wearing in airports and on certain modes of public transportation. It also required masks and specific physical distancing requirements in federal buildings, on federal lands, on military bases, and other overseas locations, consistent with CDC guidance” (The White House). The common good refers to what is beneficial for all or most members of the community (We The People 9). President Biden’s orders targeted protecting as many people as possible with the use of masks and social distancing. The most beneficial thing for our community right now is to stop the spread of the virus and president Biden helped make that possible. The mask mandates and distancing requirements contributed to the common good and have benefited most and saved many lives. However, there are two sides to an agreement and some people haven’t supported the government’s decisions during this time.
Some may disagree with the government’s actions during the Covid-19 pandemic because they failed to gain the consent of all citizens before making decisions. For example, “In July, President Biden began rolling out vaccination requirements for federal employees and contractors and calling on employers to do the same” (The White House). However, many people haven’t agreed with President Biden. “Among American adults who have not yet received a vaccine, 80% say they probably will not” (Webber). The people’s consent is required to establish a legitimate government. The citizens give power to the government when they give their consent. When it came to vaccination decisions, President Biden did not have the support of many people. Several polls and surveys have shown that a substantial percentage of people do not want to get the vaccine. However, many places are requiring vaccination proof which is unfair to the people who never gave their consent in the first place. As a result, many individuals consider this government to be illegitimate since it lacks the consent of a larger number of citizens. However, this viewpoint is incorrect for various reasons and doesn’t provide enough critiques for the enlightenment philosopher to disagree with government actions.
The opposition is wrong in their judgment because the government was able to gain the consent of the majority which was sufficient to preserve the common good. For example, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that as of December 14, roughly 85% of adults ages 18 and over in the United States had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but only 15% remained unvaccinated”(Monte). Consent is one of the most important factors for a stable and legitimate government. The common good is what is beneficial for most members of society. Although President Biden did not have universal support, 85 percent of Americans provided their consent and agreed to be vaccinated. There are still 15% of people who refuse to get vaccinated, but the government requirements for vaccinations are what will contribute to the common good. It will be beneficial to most members of society and that was one of Locke’s most important concepts for a successful government. The government met many of the philosopher’s expectations and was able to control the covid situation in the best way possible.
Ultimately, the enlightenment philosophers would approve of the way the government has handled the Covid-19 pandemic because of the upholding of the social contract and the maintenance of the common good. The enlightenment philosophers brought up brilliant ideas to improve society and create an effective government. Their views shaped the building blocks of a successful government and created what we have today. A stable government is extremely important as it guarantees the protection of everyone and ensures the rights of life, liberty, and property. The stability of our government can make our country a better place.
Works Cited
Simmons-Duffin, Selena. Poll finds Public Health has a Trust Problem. NPR, 2021.
CDC in Action: Working 24/7 to Stop the Threat of COVID-19. CDC, 2021.
Path Out of the Pandemic. The White House, 2021.
Monte, Lindsay M. Household Pulse Survey Shows Many Don’t Trust Covid Vaccine, Worry About Side Effects. United States Census Bureau, 2021.
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution. The Center for Civic Education, 1995.