Our mutual dependence is clear but policy often ignores network effects in an electronic economy Aristotle was right. Humans have never been atomized individuals, but rather social beings whose every decision affects other people.
And now the covid-19 pandemic is driving home this fundamental point: Each of us is morally responsible for the infection risks we pose to others through our own behaviour.
In fact, this pandemic is just one of many collective-action problems facing humankind, including climate change, catastrophic biodiversity loss, antimicrobial resistance, nuclear tensions fuelled by escalating geopolitical uncertainty, and even potential threats such as a collision with an asteroid.