Let's start a thread discussing the philosophical arguments for and against vaccine mandates.
Some argue that the collective benefit of the vaccine trumps the individual's right to refuse. While I agree that in certain circumstances individuals have a moral duty to sacrifice their rights for the benefit of the group - this is not the case with Covid vaccines. Let me explain; when their is a bad outcome that affects the majority(>50%), and that bad outcome requires the minority(<50%) to do something in order to avoid the bad outcome, then arguable yes, they have a moral obligation to do something. But with Covid it is different. Assuming everybody gets Covid, then 1-2% will die and around 10-20% are sick enough to be hospitalised (happy to have those numbers corrected), which means the majority(80-90%) have to sacrifice their rights for the minority. So it is not for the collective good or even for the majorities good, it is for the minorities good. Thus making the "collective benefit" argument void of reason.
What do you think?
Some argue that the collective benefit of the vaccine trumps the individual's right to refuse. While I agree that in certain circumstances individuals have a moral duty to sacrifice their rights for the benefit of the group - this is not the case with Covid vaccines. Let me explain; when their is a bad outcome that affects the majority(>50%), and that bad outcome requires the minority(<50%) to do something in order to avoid the bad outcome, then arguable yes, they have a moral obligation to do something. But with Covid it is different. Assuming everybody gets Covid, then 1-2% will die and around 10-20% are sick enough to be hospitalised (happy to have those numbers corrected), which means the majority(80-90%) have to sacrifice their rights for the minority. So it is not for the collective good or even for the majorities good, it is for the minorities good. Thus making the "collective benefit" argument void of reason.
What do you think?
