Doing the “Right” Thing

Defenders of lock downs often claim that individuals won’t do the “right” thing without such coercive measures. They believe that if individuals aren’t forced to stay home, many—if not most—will engage in irrational and irresponsible behavior. We must compel them to do the “right” thing.

But when it comes to our individual lives, the right thing is a matter of our values and our unique context. A young couple with service jobs and little savings has a much different context than a middle-aged couple who can work from home and have substantial savings and investments. The two couples will likely make very different choices regarding their employment (and many other things) during a pandemic.

Lock downs negate individual choice, and thus render our individual values irrelevant. Indeed, the very purpose of lock downs (as well as any form of coercion) is to compel individuals to act differently than they would voluntarily choose. This is true of the robber who demands our jewelry and wallet, and it is true of government officials who demand that we stay home.

Individuals won’t always make choices that we agree with. Many will do things that we consider irrational and irresponsible. But freedom does not apply only to those who make rational and responsible choices. Freedom applies to everyone, and it means that each of us can act on our own choices and judgment without coercive interference from others. If means the freedom of each individual to do what he thinks is right for him, so long as he respects the freedom of others to do the same.

Forcing individuals to act contrary to their own context, values, and judgment is a demand for conformity to the dictates of government officials. It is a demand that individuals subordinate their judgment to that of public agents. And that intellectual virus is far more deadly the coronavirus.