9th writing Public Health and Individual Freedom

Most people want to be healthy, and most people want as much freedom as possible to do the
things they want. Unfortunately, these two desires sometimes con ict. For example, smoking is
prohibited from most public places, which restricts the freedom of some individuals for the sake of the health of others. Likewise, car emissions are regulated in many areas in order to reduce
pollution and its health risks to others, which in turn restricts some people's freedom to drive the vehicles they want. In a society that values both health and freedom, how do we best balance the
two? How should we think about con icts between public health and individual freedom?

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the
conflict between public health and individual freedom.

Perspective One: Our society should strive to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number
of people. When the freedom of the individual interferes with that principle, freedom must be
restricted.

Perspective Two: Nothing in society is more valuable than freedom. Perhaps physical health is
sometimes improved by restricting freedom, but the cost to the health of our free society is far
too great to justify it.

Perspective Three: The right to avoid health risks is a freedom, too. When we allow individual
behavior to endanger others, we've damaged both freedom and health.

Write a unified, coherent essay about the conflict between health and individual freedom. In your essay be sure to:
•clearly state your own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective
•develop and support your ideas with reasoning and examples
•communicate your ideas effectively in standard written English.
Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of those given, in partial agreement, or completely different.

10000 word limit