Ethics for Disaster

by Naomi Zack

Ethics for Disaster addresses the moral aspects of hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, plane crashes, Avian Flu pandemics, and other disasters. Naomi Zack explores how these catastrophes illuminate the existing inequalities in society. By employing the moral systems of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics to analyze the consequences of recent natural disasters, Zack reveals the special plight of the poor, disabled, and infirm when tragedy strikes.

Zack explores the political foundations of social contract theory and dignitarianism and invites readers to rethink the distinction between risk in normal times and risk in disaster. Using both real life and fictional examples, Zack forcefully argues for the preservation of normal moral principles in times of national crisis and emergency, stressing the moral obligation of both individuals and government in preparing for and responding to disaster..

Genres: Philosophy

164 pages, Hardcover

First published May 16, 2009

About the author

Naomi Zack is a professor of philosophy at the University of Oregon. She is a prolific author, having published seven books in addition to a large number of papers and contributed chapters in feminist ethics, particularly in areas having to deal with race or disaster.

Reviews

[Judd Street · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zack's book is relatively unique: an ethics textbook focused explicitly on disasters. The focus results in a concise and relevant textbook that's better than peripheral offerings (e.g., public health ethics) for teaching emergency management ethics. That said, the book struggles with being somewhat American-centric, a little too dense, and a little too pronouncing (vs exploratory) in opening up issues for discussion. I'm curious to see how the book will work in an undergraduate classroom - I'm confident it's the best current alternative on the table, but I'm not sure it's the best possible.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A required text for my disaster ethics course. It was an informative and brief read.