Pluralism and Allocation of Limited Resources

Abstract In the response to this pandemic two vital, but controversial, ethical questions are how we should allocate ventilators to patients with severe respiratory failure, and how we should distribute vaccines to people at risk of contracting coronavirus. There are opposing ethical views about how to prioritize, and countries have taken different approaches. There is a strong ethical argument that policies should take a pluralistic approach to allocation that reflects multiple ethical values—both because of the diversity of viewpoints within communities and the recognition that there are competing relevant ethical values. This chapter looks at the epistemic and normative problems raised by pluralistic allocation in this pandemic and suggests implications for future pandemics. Some of the relevant evidence about the public’s views and values relating to prioritization are summarized. The chapter also explores some practical approaches to prioritization of scarce resources in the face of contrasting and competing ethical values.