Yes, We Should Trust Experts, but Not Like in the Past
New Commentary by Gregory Kaebnick
“As the world continues to struggle through waves of disease, many seek a world more inclined to listen to scientific experts,” writes Hastings Center research scholar Gregory Kaebnick in “Science Doesn’t Work that Way,” just published in the Boston Review. “But getting there does not require returning to the high-deference attitude the public may have once held toward experts. Turning back the clock may well be both impossible and undesirable. In a way, a low-deference stance toward experts and authorities is just what a well-functioning democracy aims at.” Read the Boston Review article. Kaebnick drew on ideas from a recent Hastings Center special report, “Democracy in Crisis: Civic Learning and the Reconstruction of Common Purpose.” Read the special report.
Michele Goodwin Joins Hastings Center Board
Michele Goodwin, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Founding Director of the Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy at the University of California Irvine School of Law, has joined our board of directors. Professor Goodwin is a distinguished constitutional law scholar, with much of her work focused on health and family law, as well as reproductive rights and bioethics. She is a Hastings Center fellow and will serve on the board in her capacity as chair-elect of The Hastings Center Fellows Council. Read more.
From Hastings Bioethics Forum: Is a Covid Vaccine Trial Safe Enough for My Child? New Normal
A clinical ethicist writes about how she and her partner are weighing the risks and benefits of enrolling their almost-4-year-old in a Covid vaccine trial. “We want our child to be vaccinated against Covid when it is safe and feasible to do so,” writes Elizabeth Lanphier. “Would a clinical trial be safe enough?” Read “Should We Enroll Our Child in a Covid-19 Vaccine Trial?”
Many people speak of the “new normal” after Covid. But what should that look like? Will it address the unjust treatment of racial and ethnic groups that was underscored during the pandemic? “I worry that we will meet our new normal with our old ways,” writes Debjani Mukherjee, a psychologist and a clinical ethicist. Read “After the Anniversary of Covid, Reckoning with Many New Normals.”
Upcoming Events
"Questioning Cure: Disability, Identity, and Healing." Disabled writers and educators Anand Prahlad, Ann Millett-Gallant, and Karen Nakamura discuss how the idea of cure has shaped their own lives and how we can think beyond cure. May 11, 3 pm EST.
"Planning for Seniors Housing in Changing Cities: A Cross National Exchange." Hastings Center research scholar Nancy Berlinger will speak on priority topics related to seniors housing. May 11-12, 12 pm EST.
"Binocularity: A Conceptual Tool for Comprehending and Respecting Persons." Senior research scholar Erik Parens will be presenting as part of the Montreal Health Ethics Conference Series 2021: Wellness, Health, and Human Flourishing. May 27, 12 pm EST.
"Do Genetic Findings Impact Perceptions of Responsibility?" sponsored by the Center for Research on Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Psychiatric, Neurologic & Behavioral Genetics and Columbia Irvine Medical Center in collaboration with The Hastings Center. May 28, 9 am EST.
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