Convincing someone to wear a mask is hard, but not impossible
What would Immanuel Kant say? (Engin Akyurt/Unsplash/)Colin Marshall is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Washington. This story originally featured on The Conversation.Multiple studies have shown that masks reduce the transmission of virus-loaded droplets from people with COVID-19. However, according to a Gallup poll, almost a third of Americans say they rarely or never wear a mask in public.This raises a question: Can the anti-maskers be persuaded to wear masks?To some, it might appear that such a question has no ethical dimension. Wearing masks saves lives, so everyone should do it. Some even believe anti-maskers are simply selfish.But as a philosopher who studies ethics and persuasion, I argue that things are more complicated than that.Kant on love and respectTo start, consider one of the most influential ethical frameworks in Western thought: that of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant.According to Kant, morality is ultimately about respect and love....