Covid-19 and the power of rules

Hist Philos Life Sci. 2021 Jan 27;43(1):11. doi: 10.1007/s40656-021-00368-9.

Abstract

This article discusses the role of human-created rules in our collective adapting to Covid-19 and our survival in its wake. Rules that make sense become institutionalised and play a dual role in our response to the pandemic: they provide a guide for individual behavior and they provide a mechanism for coordinating all our behaviors.

Keywords: Behavior; Coordination; Covid-19; Guidance; Institutions; Rules.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 / epidemiology*
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Physical Distancing*
  • SARS-CoV-2 / physiology