Opinion | Covid-19 protests show tug of war between individual rights and collective responsibility
- Across the West, people enjoy liberties but chafe against restrictions. In Asia, many accept sacrifices for the collective good but this risks dissatisfaction, which destabilises society
- The key is in finding the right balance that best suits the country and its people
The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked discussions over what should be the priority in our society, providing new perspectives on the debate between individual rights and collective responsibility. Depending on who, where and how we ask the question, different conclusions can be drawn.
Either view in its extreme form is unproductive for humanity’s survival and progress. An extreme belief in absolute individual rights would produce some form of anarchy, while the other extreme would result in some form of tyranny.
Finding the balance is often easier said than done and the more pragmatic approach is to fully understand our positions and realities, to do what is most reasonable and effective in the stage we are at.
In better, peaceful and more comfortable times, it is extremely challenging to convince and expect most citizens to concede individual liberties in favour of more long-term and grave challenges ahead.
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Anti-Covid-19 lockdown protests throughout Europe amid rising cases and increased measures
Distrust of the authorities is real and widening. If this is already so hard, just imagine how many individuals, and even governments, react to climate challenges which, unlike a pandemic, does not always produce casualties immediately.
