Individual freedom versus collective responsibility: An ethicist's perspective

Abstract

Philosophical theories of collective action have produced a number of alternative accounts of the rationality and morality of self-interest and altruism. These have obvious applications to communicable disease control, the avoidance of antibiotic resistance, the responsibility of healthcare professionals to patients with serious communicable diseases, and the sharing of personal data in epidemiological research. © 2006 Ashcroft; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.