Mark Navin, “Values and Vaccine Refusal: Hard Questions in Epistemology, Ethics, and Health Care” (Routledge, 2016)
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What is the central theme of Mark Navin’s book on vaccine refusal?
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Welcome to the New Books and Philosophy Channel of the New Books Network. My name is Robert Talise, I am professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt University. And I co host the channel with Carrie Figner. Carrie is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Iowa. Today my guest is Professor Mark Naven. His new book is titled Values and Vaccine Refusal Hard Questions in Ethics, Epistemology, and Healthcare. It's just been published by Routledge. Naven is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Oakland University. Communities of parents who refuse, delay, or selectively decline to vaccinate their children pose several familiar moral and political questions regarding public health, safety and risk. But additionally, there are epistemological questions about these communities.
Though frequently dismissed as simply ignorant, superstitious, or stupid. It turns out that vaccines suspicion, denial, and refusal are are positively correlated with higher levels of education and a greater depth of knowledge about vaccine science. Accordingly, the common view that vaccine refusal is the product of ignorance seems simplistic. Yet the more strident forms of vaccine refusal are based on demonstrably false beliefs. How is this combination best explained? In values and vaccine refusal, Naven offers a balanced examination of the epistemology and value commitments of various stripes of vaccine refusal. After arguing that vaccine refusers may be reasonable. He then defends a novel version of the view that there is a moral requirement to vaccinate one's children.
He then defends the claim that the state may use coercive means to enhance vaccination. But Naven also makes room for exemptions for non medical reasons. Naven's book is a fascinating philosophical exploration of some very deep questions at the intersection of social epistemology and social ethics. There's a lot to talk about. So let's turn to the interview. Hello Mark Naven.
Hi Bob.
How
are you doing good? Doing very well. Thanks for having me.
Well, thanks for being on New Books in Philosophy. Um, and thank you listeners for checking out our podcast. My guest today is Mark Daven. And he's just published a great book titled Values and Vaccine Refusal Hard Questions in Ethics, Epistemology and Healthcare. I recommend this book highly um to anyone, uh philosopher or otherwise, uh who struggles to understand an odd and growing uh phenomenon. That is the phenomenon of vaccine refusal and there's a lot to talk about here and perhaps some of what there is to talk about is surprising and we'll get into some of the the ways in which This topic has philosophical uh surprises built into it uh in the course of the discussion.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the central theme of Mark Navin’s book on vaccine refusal?
0:00–9:14
2
How does Navin explain the paradox of educated vaccine‑refusers?
9:14–17:24
3
What demographic patterns characterize vaccine‑refusing communities?
17:24–25:57
4
Why does Navin describe vaccine‑refusers as forming alternative epistemic communities?
25:57–33:48
5
What moral arguments does Navin use to defend a duty to vaccinate?
33:48–41:39
6
When, if ever, is state coercion of vaccination justified?
41:39–48:48
7
How have recent U.S. policies (e.g., California, Michigan) changed exemption rules?
48:48–56:30
8
What are Navin’s next research steps and how can listeners follow his work?
56:30–1:04:15
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