Does Libertarianism Provide a Justification for Vaccine Hesitancy?. Issue 2 (29th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Butler, Jethro; Sorell, Tom
• Is Part Of: Political quarterly. Volume 93:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 342
• Page End: 346
• Publication Date: 2022-04-29
• Subjects: libertarianism -- vaccination -- self‐ownership -- free‐riding -- non‐aggression -- expertise; Political science -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1910-1936 -- Periodicals; 320.05
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-923X.13136
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-3179

Abstract

Abstract: Libertarian ideas of self‐ownership and the priority of bodily autonomy have featured prominently in the political debate over vaccination programmes and the justifiability or otherwise of restricting the liberty of the unvaccinated. In this article we look at a selection of recent right‐libertarian literature to show that there is a considerable divergence between the application of consistent libertarian principles to this issue by academic libertarians and the strident opposition to vaccination programmes and vaccine mandates expressed by people who profess to be libertarians in the public‐political debate.