Tweets around this photo of Primrose Hill are trending, and so is a debate in this form:

: This is terrible! Sunbathing is not exercise & this people should stay home.

: I don’t see the problem! They are 2m apart.

Who’s right?

Let’s see.

1/9

Both parties claim government guidelines are on their side.

:

Gg allow for exercise and necessary outings.
: Sunbathing is not exercise nor necessary.
:: People in photo are behaving recklessly.

2/9

:

Gg require to stay 2meters apart, unless people live in the same house, and are meant to reduce contagion.
: People in photos are 2meters apart or likely to live together.
:: Contagion between strangers seems unlikely.
::: People in photos are behaving responsibly.

3/9

[Of course is taking a more collectivist approach, more libertarian, but let’s put that aside for a minute.]

4/9

The hidden assumption that really matters here is

~ The categorical imperative ~

“Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”.

[Kant, y’all]

That is:

~ Behave as you wish everyone else to behave ~

5/9

is Kantian, is not.

A pandemic has to be handled in a kantian way, because if everyone thought it was ok to sunbathe, it would be impossible to keep a distance from strangers.

Sunbathers are occupying a space for long periods, preventing others from walking.

6/9

: But Elena! that’s true of everything. If we all went taking out cash at the same time, the banking system would collapse! Think of 2007. The point is: we don’t.

I’m getting my sunblock out!

Not so fast.

7/9

This is not about everyone ACTUALLY getting out at the same time and going to the park. That’s unlikely to happen anyway.

It’s about adopting a behaviour (*occasionally* sunbathing, if at different times/places) that makes it impossible for everyone to do the same.

8/9

If we all *occasionally* sunbathed, crowded parks would make it impossible to prevent contagion. And that’s why you shouldn’t do it.

Sunbathing is greedy: you’re taking up time & space outside that others could use to exercise.

One of these is necessary, the other isn’t.

9/9