They just published another post about the wonderfulness of immunizations, wherein they do a nice job of steamrollering over any opposing arguments. But I’m not going to write about that.

During the lack of discussion, Roxanne said this;

Vaccinations are a gamble: Will the reduced chance of a future disease outweigh the chance of complications now? Everyone has to make the choice for themselves. No medical procedure – and that includes vaccination – should be required by law. Period. End of sentence.

and then, Giacomo said this:

Roxanne, I’m sorry but you are wrong on “No medical procedure – and that includes vaccination – should be required by law”.

The right of the human race to survive as a whole overrides the right of individuals to be careless. If an epidemic is endangering society as a whole, collective and democratic bodies have the right to impose vaccination. I think this thread made it quite clear.

Is that so?

Say that the population is falling from too few births. Does the ‘right of the human race to survive as a whole’ trump the right of a woman to refuse to have children? Not quite ‘being careless’, I suppose, but still the same principle.

And there is hardly an epidemic that is endangering society as a whole. For the sake of argument, though, let’s say that there is, or say that if a significant number of individuals don’t take some action (preventing themselves from being sterilized by radiation, perhaps) or any other event, human race will become extinct. Is there some moral mandate to preserve the race at all costs?

Another fun example – some people seem to think that it’s extremely important that we place a ‘backup’ of humankind on a planet. That way, if decide to nuke ourselves, human life will be safe! After all, everybody knows that human existence has made such a valuable contribution to the advancement of the universe, that it is imperative we continue existing.

Remind me again: How does the universe determine value? Why do you care what happens after you and those you care about are dead? If humans suddenly, painlessly, ceased existence, why would that bother you? And if we die out naturally, where is the loss? Heck, some ecologist-types believe we deserve to become extinct!

Here’s the point: if it is wrong to not be vaccinated, or if anything else is wrong, it is wrong because it hurts people. Not ‘the human race’, not ’society’, but individual, specific people, whom are hurt by your specific, individual choice. You don’t have proof that anyone beside yourself exists. Humans are not a hive mind. We do not exist collectively. We infer others’ existence, and we act based on that, but we only care because we assume they are like us, that they feel our pain. Even more specifically: I care about you, because you are like me. Nothing more.

More on this later, when I can come up with some counterarguments.