The Radical Hope of Moral Imagination in Public Health

Public health is often about solving problems. But what happens when the problems are complex - like after a war or disaster? What if the usual responses don’t really meet people’s needs?

This is where something more is needed. Not just technical skills or plans, but where moral imagination can assist.

What Is Moral Imagination?

My understanding of moral imagination, is that it’s the next step beyond empathy. Empathy might be putting yourself in another’s shoes and helping to feel what they feel, where as moral imagination helps you think about what you can do to make things better.

Moral imagination is the ability to:

• See beyond what’s usually done

• Understand the feelings and needs of others, even in hard situations

• Think of new, fairer ways to respond

• Act in ways that restore dignity and build trust

It means combining compassion and creativity - especially when systems are broken, and people are hurting.

A Real-Life Example: After the Cyclone

Here’s an example:

A cyclone hits a coastal region already affected by years of conflict. Aid workers rush in to rebuild toilets, clinics, and water systems.

But one village asks them to wait.

“We need time to grieve. Our funerals haven’t happened yet. Our bodies are hurting, but so are our hearts.”

Instead of ignoring this, some health workers stop and listen. They ask:

• What do you need right now?

• What can we do to support healing in your community?

The response surprises them:

• Space to hold ceremonies and grieve

• Mental health support that includes local language and customs

• Jobs for community members to help with recovery

• Involvement of youth in rebuilding

This wasn’t in the original plan, but it changes everything with people feeling included and meaningful recovery.

This is moral imagination in action.

How Moral Imagination Helps in Learning

In public health courses, stories like this help students think in new ways.

Instead of asking: “How do we fix this quickly?”

We can ask students:

• “What does this community need to feel safe and respected?”

• “What are we missing if we only focus on infrastructure?”

• “Who should be part of the solution?”

Moral imagination helps students go beyond facts and checklists. It opens space for empathy, ethics, and new ideas.

One of the things I love most about working at a university is being surrounded by students who naturally embody moral imagination. Their openness to new ideas, curiosity about the world, and willingness to question “the way things have always been” position them uniquely to imagine fairer, more just futures. Unlike many adults who may feel constrained by existing systems or past failures, youth bring fresh perspectives and a boldness to envision what’s possible.

Their lived experience growing up in a rapidly changing, interconnected world also nurtures empathy across cultures and communities. This global outlook helps them see complex challenges not as isolated problems but as shared human struggles requiring creative, compassionate solutions.

In many ways, youth don’t just learn moral imagination, but live it through their activism, storytelling, and commitment to social justice. They remind us that moral imagination isn’t just a skill but a mindset grounded in hope, courage, and the belief that change is possible.

Why This Matters

Today, many of us feel overwhelmed by the world’s problems: conflict, disasters, climate change, injustice can feel hopeless.

But moral imagination can help us to:

• Stay grounded in humanity

• See that small actions can lead to big change

• Imagine new ways to support communities

• It reminds us that public health is about people.

Cultivating Moral Imagination

So how do we grow this vital skill? Here are some ideas:

• Listen deeply: Engage with stories from diverse voices, especially those outside your usual circle.

• Ask “what if?”: Challenge assumptions by imagining alternative perspectives or futures.

• Practice reflective storytelling: Write or share stories that explore ethical dilemmas.

• Engage in arts and literature: Poetry, film, and art open windows to other worlds and minds.

• Create dialogue spaces: Encourage open, respectful conversations that honor complexity.

Final Thought

Moral imagination helps us see people, not just problems. It reminds us that after disaster or conflict, people don’t only need supplies - they need to feel heard and respected.And for students learning to work in public health, this way of thinking builds confidence, care, and creativity.

Moral imagination is a radical act of hope. It demands courage - the courage to see the world through others’ eyes and the courage to imagine a better world and work toward it.

In a time when the stakes feel so high, cultivating moral imagination isn’t just an individual journey - it’s a collective necessity. It invites us all to become architects of empathy, justice, and compassion in our communities and beyond.

We may not have all the answers. But we can listen. We can imagine something better, and we can work toward it, together.

A big thanks to my lovely colleague Kim-Huong, who introduced me to the term moral imagination — a concept I’d long believed in, but never knew had a name. Sometimes the right words help us see things more clearly, and this one continues to shape how I work, learn, and engage in public health.