Is enforced quarantine morally acceptable ?

[cyberianpan]

I've been reading a few swine flu stories and have seen examples of people being forced into quarantine in Britain. On utilitarian grounds I can very much sympathise with it, and personally I'd voluntarily go into such quarantine ... but is not forcing innocent people into quarantine a breach of their rights ?

cYp

[perprojustice]

In the circumstances no

[Kev408]

In the circumstances no

What he said.

[wysiwyg]

Yes, it is. If it is for the greater good, of course it is acceptable. In fact it would be immoral not to enforce quarentine if by not doing so, you were endangering a greater number of people

[Lthse]

Absolutely not, the nwo created this pandemic so my family won't be going into any quarantine. Nor will we be taking any shots.

The rest of you slaves can do what you want.

[perprojustice]

What he said.

He asks "but is not enforcing" "a breach of their rights" the answer is no.
qualified by: it is not a breach of their rights under the circumstances.

[myksav]

Is enforced quarantine morally acceptable ?

In relation to a transmittable disease, yes, it's morally acceptable. It would be morally unacceptable to allow potentially infectious people among the general population, particularly with a disease that does not require physical contact to pass on.

Any quarantine should only last as long as it takes to clear the person as being non-infectious.

[candi]

A government is obliged to protect iits citizens. Enforced quarantine is of course necessary in these situations.
My Uncle often talked about the foot and mouth disease in England many years ago.
He returned home for Christmas and was not allowed to return to the family farm.

[cyberianpan]

I find enforced quarantine very dubious, as it is putting the good of the many (or the few) above the good of the innocent individual.

It involves "authorities" making an empirical judgement call, rather than an absolute judgement call

Consider what is happening in China

Wall St Journal

BEIJING -- The A/H1N1 flu outbreak is leading to a potential diplomatic row between China and Mexico, as Chinese health authorities round up and quarantine scores of Mexicans -- only one of whom is thus far reported to be sick -- as they fly in on business and holiday trips.
...
Among them is a family of five, including three young children, who transited to Beijing. They were roused from their hotel room in the Chinese capital in the early hours of Saturday and whisked to an infectious diseases hospital. There, according to the father, Carlos Doormann, AeroMéxico's finance director, they were isolated in a room with bloodstained sheets and what appeared to be mucus smeared on the walls.

At the very least giving such powers to government requires that we trust our government ... do we ?

cYp

[youngdan]

Trust me, I am a football fan