Non-complicity as a principle of public health ethics

The concept of complicity has received increased interest in academic and popular venues to describe a range of moral phenomena including contributing to genocide, state violence, and systemic racism. However, a principle of non-complicity has generally not been included in lists of public health ethics principles. Complicity is a useful concept in the context of public health as can speak to wrongdoing in complex organizational and socioeconomic networks such as those promoting (or undermining) public health. In this paper, I argue that a principle of non-complicity complements typically used public health ethics principles. After describing common categories of public health ethics principles, I discuss the role of a principle of solidarity in providing a practical attitude toward addressing injustice and note limitations of this principle when applied to more global and universal contexts. I then describe two forms of complicity and how they can be used to illuminate the ethical dimensions of public health. I argue that a principle of non-complicity complements other public health ethics principles by providing motivation for addressing the shortcomings of our public health systems and providing direction on how to move forward.