Remember the COVID-19 mask debates? Or how about arguments over vaccine mandates? Turns out, humanity has been having these same fights for centuries! One could almost say millennia, if we consider the ancient world’s attempts to contain leprosy or other contagions through isolation and social ostracization. This isn’t a new phenomenon; it’s an enduring clash between what’s best for everyone (public health) and what individuals want for themselves (personal liberty). It’s a tension as old as society itself, a dance between the collective and the individual that shapes our laws, our ethics, and, ultimately, our very survival. Continue reading →