Advertise on podcast: Ethics is Not Rocket Science

Many impacts of COVID-19 are still prevalent today, especially within the quickly evolving food industry through delivery apps which are potentially changing consumer behavior. In this episode we ask, "Is it morally permissible to use a food delivery app (e.g., Instacart) during a pandemic?" Scholars Aryan, Cordelia, and Brittnee provide the context and history around this topic including moral theory, positive and negative perspectives, and their moral framework on the group's overall outlook. Is it okay to mitigate risk and allow others to put their lives on the line for our gain? Do delivery workers have the support they need to work these hazardous jobs? Why or why not? Works Cited Bokat-lindell, Spencer. “Is Food Delivery during the Coronavirus Pandemic Ethical?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 May 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/opinion/coronavirus-delivery-food.html Cheng, Michelle. “Gig Jobs Are Suddenly Looking More Secure amid Coronavirus.” Quartz, Quartz, https://qz.com/1820467/companies-shift-to-hiring-more-delivery-workers-amid-coronavirus/. “Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) - Events as They Happen.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen.  “Coronavirus (Covid-19) Frequently Asked Questions.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#:~:text=COVID%2D19%20is%20spread%20in,like%20a%20cough%20%20or%20%20sneeze.  Durbin, Dee-Ann, and The Associated Press. “Food Delivery Will Continue to Thrive after COVID Restrictions Ease, Drawing out Tensions between Delivery Apps and Restaurants.” Fortune, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2021, https://fortune.com/2021/04/20/restaurants-food-delivery-apps-fees-commission-doordash-uber-eats-grubhub/amp/. Foot, Philippa. “Killing and Letting Die.” Moral Dilemmas, 2002, pp. 78–87., doi:10.1093/019925284x.003.0006. “Food Delivery Health Risks & Safety during Coronavirus.” Elite Care 24 Hour Emergency Room, 22 May 2020, https://elitecarehouston.com/food-delivery-health-risks-safety-during-coronavirus/. Lazarus, David. “The Ethics of Outsourcing Our Risks to Instacart.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2020, https://www.latimes.com/business/newsletter/2020-04-06/newsletter-coronavirus-ethics-business. McLaughlin, J. (2017). The Originals: Classic Readings in Western Philosophy. Victoria, BC: BCcampus/TRU. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/classicalreadings/ Medicine, Good Food Is Good. “Eating Takeout amid Covid-19: UC Davis Expert Explains Food Safety.” Good-Food, UC Davis Health, 27 Mar. 2020, https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/good-food/eating-takeout-amid-covid-19-uc-davis-expert-explains-food-safety/2020/03. Young, Ryan. “The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Delivery Services in the U.S.” Medium, Towards Data Science, 24 Jan. 2021, https://towardsdatascience.com/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-food-delivery-services-in-the-u-s-47eae04655c8.