The Bioethics of Loneliness

Loneliness was extremely common worldwide even prior to Covid and it was a major public health issue because of its deleterious health effects. Covid made it worse, and empirical data suggest it is even more common now. The question is- what should we do about it, and why. 

In the talk ‘The Bioethics of Loneliness’ organised by the Centre for Applied Ethics, the speaker will argue that the answer to ‘why’ is a human right not to be lonely. This right stems from our right to health, given loneliness’ adverse effects on human health, and it thus being a negative social determinant of health. This right more fundamentally stems from us being essentially social creatures. If compelling, loneliness then becomes a normative term, with implications spanning several issues, including human enhancement, distributive justice, and pandemic preparedness.