John Stuart Mill's Harm Principle

Ebola is an infectious and often deadly disease that became rapidly more prevalent in Western Africa during 2014, at which time an ebola epidemic was officially declared (World Health Organization, 2015). Health professionals (such as doctors and nurses) travelled to work within the epidemic to treat the ill and prevent the spread of disease and were obligated to care for the infected patients. However, due to their moral investments in both the health of the community and their own individual health, a tension was created between the opposing obligations (to take care of themselves or to take care of their community). These obligations will be discussed with regards to John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle, and Immanuel Kant’s Ought Implies Can …show more content…
It says that the only occasion in which power should be directly exercised over a citizen (against their will) is when it will prevent harm to other citizens (Brink, 2007). Through the Harm Principle, we restrict one’s liberty (for example, someone who is infected with ebola) to benefit or aid others and prevent harm being inflicted upon them. Joel Feinberg clarified the definition of a harm as a wrongful injury, where to injure someone is to set back their interests (Bayles & Feinberg, …show more content…
This is their individual obligation to protect themselves and remain healthy amongst the spread of disease. However, using the Harm Principle in this context is problematic as it brings to attention two potential, conflicting harms that could be the result of this obligation: the harm done to the health professional if they do not act on this obligation, but rather disregard their own health and contribute their efforts to putting an end to the epidemic; and the harm done to the infected patients should health professionals choose to value their own health and do not become involved in treating those who are infected (Wilkinson,