patricia illingworth Archives

The coffin of senior police sergeant Roman Rushchyshyn is lowered during his funeral in the village of Soposhyn, outskirts of Lviv, western Ukraine in Lviv. Rushchyshyn, a member of the Lviv Special Police Patrol Battalion, was killed in the Luhansk Region. Temporary cease-fires to allow evacuations and humanitarian aid have repeatedly faltered, with Ukraine accusing Russia of continuing its bombardments. AP Photo/Bernat Armangue

War is about suffering and death. But should those images be portrayed in the news?

The question of how to ethically and humanely document the world’s suffering is perennial, prompting conversations in newsrooms everywhere about how to portray violence, illness, and death without exploiting victims and needlessly traumatizing audiences and bystanders. Northeastern experts discuss the issue in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

by Tanner Stening March 11, 2022

This Giving Tuesday, think like a billionaire and follow MacKenzie Scott's lead with donations

Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, recently gave away $8.6 billion—a record for a 12-month span. Most of her influences on global philanthropy are constructive, says Patricia Illingworth, a Northeastern professor of philosophy and business and author of the upcoming book, “Giving Now: Accelerating Human Rights for All.”

by Ian Thomsen November 29, 2021

hand raised over iphone preparing to start doomscrolling

‘Take breaks, but don’t disengage’; The perils of ‘doomscrolling’ when the world is on fire

As our news consumption habits continue to evolve around the use of social media, new pressures arise over how to respond to what we see; how we—as digital witnesses, global citizens, and human beings—should act in the face of injustices and crises far and wide. How to cope with the onslaught? Northeastern experts say it’s a difficult balancing act.

by Tanner Stening September 21, 2021

silhouette of a pilot in front of a delta airplane

Will Delta Air Lines’ $200 surcharge for unvaccinated employees pay off?

Delta Air Lines recently announced that its employees are required to get a COVID-19 vaccine, or face a $200 per month increase in their health insurance premiums. But the penalty may not actually help the company mitigate the risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, say two Northeastern scholars.

by Molly Callahan August 27, 2021

With COVID-19 infections surging, can doctors refuse treatment to unvaccinated patients?

As more health care workers share their testimony from the bedsides of the sick, growing frustration over the sheer number of unvaccinated patients taking up beds has some asking: Can doctors refuse to treat, or decline to see, patients who are unvaccinated? Several Northeastern experts weigh in.

by Tanner Stening August 25, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden removes his face mask to speak at The Queen theater on Nov. 5, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. AP Photo by Carolyn Kaster

Will Biden’s proposed mask mandate actually force people to wear facial coverings?

Probably not, because any mandate he tried to impose would likely face court challenges. But there are other ways he can use the power of the presidency to try to get more people on board, including a direct appeal to our conscience, professors Wendy Parmet and Patricia Illingworth say.

by Peter Ramjug November 19, 2020

If ‘truth isn’t truth,’ then what is it?

We live in a time where the truth is being called into question almost daily. There’s “fake news,” and the idea that seeing isn’t believing, and the assertion that “truth isn’t truth.” So, when we’re presented with so many reasons to doubt the truth (or for that matter, doubt the very existence of truth), the question becomes, what is the nature of truth? Northeastern professor Patricia Illingworth, who has expertise in philosophy and law, has some answers.

by Molly Callahan September 26, 2018

Gene editing embryos may lead to ‘pursuit of a conception of perfection’

For the first time, scientists have successfully edited a fatal genetic mutation out of human embryos. This advancement brings society one step closer to erasing some hereditary diseases, but what are the ethical implications of that power? Three Northeastern professors weigh in.

by Allie Nicodemo August 9, 2017

On Thursday, members of the House Budget Committee approved the Republican healthcare bill. Photo via iStock

Understanding the impact of the proposed healthcare reform bill

On Thursday, members of the House Budget Committee approved the Republican healthcare bill, a move that will send it to the House of Representatives for consideration. We asked an interdisciplinary group of professors why healthcare reform is so complex, what impact this bill would have on insurance and drug prices, and whether it meets the idea that healthcare is, as one professor says, a “moral imperative.”

by Molly Callahan March 17, 2017

Northeastern professors Patricia Illingworth and Wendy Parmet posit that healthcare is a human rights issue. Photo via iStock.

Professors: Providing healthcare for non-US citizens a ‘moral obligation’

Calling it a “moral obligation” and a “global public good,” Northeastern professors Patricia Illingworth and Wendy Parmet posit that healthcare is a human rights issue, and that extending coverage in the U.S. to non-citizens could actually alleviate both the cost and care burdens on everyone.

by Molly Callahan February 23, 2017

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