How can we reconcile ethics with public health, population health considerations, and health promotion? Some thirty experts, social science researchers, and practitioners in the field have agreed to contribute to this issue, coordinated by Martine Bungener, Pierre Lombrail, Jean-Christophe Mino, Anne-Catherine Viso, and Sophie Legond. This special section takes into account the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which naturally places ethical questions at the heart of any public health initiative.