On BBC Radio’s Moral Maze this week, we tackled the morality of…er, partying. Well no, I didn’t think it was a moral issue either; but hey, it was the last show in the current series so the BBC was trying to have a bit of fun. While debating weighty matters, of course.
The peg was the argument that’s been going on in Britain about opening up the nightclubs (among other loosened restrictions) while Covid infections are still very high and there’s concern they may again rise exponentially.
Some people think hedonistic clubbing is a transcendent experience that connects us with our fellow human beings; others think it’s all about yourself and indulging your own sensations. Some think it’s a moral imperative to allow people the long-overdue release of dancing in a packed and sweaty space with inhibitions loosened by drugs and alcohol; others think this is appallingly irresponsible right now because it risks spreading Covid to the vulnerable, since even the vaccination doesn’t offer total protection.
Guess which side I was on!
My fellow panellists were Giles Fraser, Tim Stanley and Ash Sarkar. Our witnesses were Dr Julian Tang, professor of respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester; Olivia Petter, journalist and author of “Millennial Love” about modern dating; Christopher Gill, emeritus professor of ancient thought at the University of Exeter; and Jeremy Gilbert, professor of cultural theory at the University of East London.
If you are able to access the BBC website, you can listen to the programme here.
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