COVID-19
This special series, Thinking in a Pandemic, collects all our COVID-19 coverage in one place—the latest analysis from doctors and epidemiologists, philosophers and economists, legal scholars and historians, activists and citizens.
A collection of these essays appears in print in Thinking in a Pandemic and The Politics of Care.
The Shape of Epidemics
Epidemic waves serve not just to predict but also to persuade. Their special blend of mathematical and moral messaging will shape the future of the pandemic.
The Politics of the Mask
Today we face the paradox of states simultaneously criminalizing masks—because of protests—and mandating them because of COVID-19. In this interview, social theorist AK Thompson explores the history of masks in protests and why rioting is politically effective.
The Fire This Time
These protests are too widespread to go away. There will be no peace without justice on multiple fronts.
The End of Family Values
Neoliberalism rests on the myth that “good” families can provide for their own without public support.
Rights in a Pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis creates a conflict not between individual rights and the community, but rather between individual rights themselves—including, above all, the right to health.
A Tale of Two Messages
University administrators must be held accountable for their decisions to reopen campuses.
From Pandemic Facts to Pandemic Policies
The debate over pandemic response is not only about the facts. It’s also about values.
Will Evidence-Based Medicine Survive COVID-19?
The UK government’s ultra-cautious approach to “evidence-based” policy has helped cast doubt on public health interventions. The definition of good medical and public health practice must be urgently updated.
What Would Health Security Look Like?
Struggles for Medicare for All and a Green New Deal are two sides of the same coin.
The Totality of the Evidence
As policymakers debate the right response to COVID-19, they must take seriously the harms of pandemic policies, not just their benefits.
Teaching African American Literature During COVID-19
“In a season of unimaginable death, my students emerged as visionaries. I hope to live to see the world they create.”
How Civic Organizations Are Helping to Fight COVID-19
Nonprofits have proven to be critical links in the nation’s public health infrastructure, but even those with mandates unrelated to health and poverty relief are turning out to be integral to their communities’ survival.
The Cruelty of Trump’s ICE Under COVID-19
The Trump administration has rejected calls for mass humanitarian release and continues to deport detainees to Latin America.
We’re Not All In It Together
The deep, growing divisions in U.S. society have an outsize effect in determining who suffers from this pandemic—as well as how the government responds.
The Prophet of the Far Right
Michel Houellebecq’s Islamophobia and chauvinism have made him a favorite intellectual of right extremists. So why does he appeal to so many on the left as well?
The Tragedy of Costs and Benefits
In the fight against COVID-19, weighing costs and benefits is indispensable for moral clarity. At the same time, we must not forget its limits.
What 30 Percent Unemployment Looks Like
As we know from South Africa's crisis, political and social fault lines will shape the contours of joblessness.
In Toronto, Google’s Attempt to Privatize Government Fails—For Now
Sidewalk Labs would have turned a large plot of Toronto’s public land into a private lab for data collection. Cities need better digital governance to protect against such attempts.
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