Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-20-2023
Abstract
Tackling COVID-19 requires universal collective action: everyone must play their part to reduce the spread of the virus and quell the pandemic. Yet, some people obstinately refuse to cooperate, irrespective of the consequences for themselves and others. In this note, I illustrate a key element of human psychology that hampers cooperation amid the pandemic: deontological moral intuitions. Deontological morality prescribes that moral taboos must be followed no matter the consequences. This means that people who consider Covid vaccines a moral taboo are prepared to suffer virtually any consequence rather than take the vaccine. I discuss the evolutionary basis of deontological intuitions, their implications for cooperation, and consider possible solutions. In conclusion, although not always harmful, deontological moral intuitions against Covid measures -and vaccines in particular- are a major obstacle that stands in the way of successful collective action during the pandemic.
Recommended Citation
Del Ponte, A. (2026). Join or Die: How Deontological Moral Intuitions Complicate Cooperation amid the Covid-19 Pandemic. Forum Italicum, 60(1), 71-84. https://doi.org/10.1177/00145858231166913
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
The authors
Included in
COVID-19 Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Other Public Health Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons
Comments
This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Forum Italicum, volume 60, issue 1, in 2023 following peer review. This article may not exactly replicate the final published version. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at https://doi.org/10.1177/00145858231166913.
This scholarship is part of the Chapman University COVID-19 Archives.