Within Reason: A Liberal Public Health for an Illiberal Time

The Covid-19 response has caused a crisis of liberalism, a retreat from the principles of free speech, open debate, and the pursuit of knowledge. Within Reason chronicles how public health became enmeshed in the insidious social trends that accelerated under Covid-19 and builds an incisive case for a return to critical, open inquiry as a guiding principle for the future public health we want.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2023
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

The Covid-19 response was a turbulent convergence of politics and public health, resulting in predictable failures. Scientific expertise became entangled with political motives, leading to the entrenchment of the public health establishment in political camps. This crisis of liberalism, as argued by Sandro Galea, signified a retreat from the principles of free speech, open debate, and the pursuit of knowledge through reasoned inquiry that should shape public health efforts.

Across fifty essays, Within Reason explores the intricate ways in which public health became entangled with the insidious social trends that accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Galea confronts this intellectual drift towards intolerance and absolutism, highlighting how similar regressions from reason have undermined social progress in past eras.

Within Reason presents a compelling argument for a revival of critical, open inquiry as a fundamental guiding principle for the future public health we aspire to achieve. It emphasizes the need to protect and safeguard this future against the forces that seek to undermine it. By embracing a commitment to critical thinking, evidence-based decision-making, and a willingness to engage with diverse perspectives, we can build a more resilient and inclusive public health system that serves the needs of all individuals and communities.

Weight: 313g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226822914