| The goal of this paper is to study the particular brand of anti-intellectualism prevalent in the anti-vaccination movement in the United States. The goal is to understand why some parents choose to ignore scientific consensus and trust the opinion of nonprofessionals. The paper will discuss the American distrust of intellectuals, professionals, and authority figures while focusing on the anti-vaccination movement. Conspiracy theories seems to have replaced rational option evaluation for a significant number of Americans. This must mean that conspiracy theories offer a more appealing answer to the vaccination question than scientific facts. Drawing on Hofstadter's classic Anti-intellectualism in American Life, I'll show how the democratization of knowledge has come to pose a serious health risk. Finally, I'll discuss the government's role in safeguarding public health verses a citizen's right to make their own healthcare choices. |
