On this edition of Philosophical Currents, Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein of the University of North Dakota examines the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding for NIH projects focused on health disparities. The discussion explores how philosophy can frame questions of justice, equality, and health equity, weighing whether society has a moral obligation to study why minority and low-income communities experience higher illness rates and shorter lifespans. Weinstein considers the ethics of targeting research toward vulnerable groups, the politics of labeling science as “woke,” and what these choices reveal about America’s values, who counts, and how the nation defines the common good.
Philosophy of NIH Cuts: Justice, Equity, and America’s Common Good
