Systems that Harm: The Ethics of Scaffolding for Support

“Systems that Harm: The Ethics of Scaffolding for Support,” Kevin Timpe, William H. Jellema Chair in Christian Philosophy at Calvin University. Keynote speaker for the 2025 Medical Humanities Conference. 12 p.m., place TBD. Co-sponsors: Medical Humanities Workgroup, Department of Philosophy.

Health care does not happen in a vacuum—it unfolds within complex social systems that shape how care is delivered, accessed and experienced. Drawing on insights from disability studies, this talk examines how those very systems can sometimes cause harm, even without individual fault or ill intent. These “structural harms” are especially troubling in clinical and institutional settings, where vulnerable individuals may be impacted by policies or procedures that no single actor controls. By highlighting these systemic dynamics, this talk argues for a collective ethical responsibility to redesign our health-care scaffolding—building institutions that promote dignity, justice and genuine support for all. This talk invites reflection on the moral obligations of professionals, institutions and communities in shaping just systems of care.