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Jean Jacques Rousseau would support mandated vaccinations - Coggle Diagram
Jean Jacques Rousseau would support mandated vaccinations
Law
Believed that people should give up some of their rights to the community
The belief that people need to give up some of their rights in order to benefit the community supports the reason for mandated vaccines. People have the right to their autonomy, but in order to benefit the safety of the community some of those rights can be taken away because they can directly affect how the community thrives. Members of society must take into consideration those who have medical issues who can be detrimentally affected by specific diseases, those people are much more protected if most of the community gets their vaccinations.
Laws should be created based on the general will of the people
A law which mandates vaccines would be a law based on the general will of the people. Even though some may not support it, it is still the general belief that it would be beneficial to society. Rousseau would support a law which mandates vaccinations because it would be a law specifically created to help the community and its safety. The fact that most people did support mandating vaccinations also show that it is the general will of the people.
Breaching laws is not only against the law but also against the community and its people
By breaching a potential law which mandates vaccines, it is not only going against the laws specific rules, but it is also an act against the community. Rousseau's belief that breaching laws is bad because it is an act against the people proves that he would support mandated vaccines because he would believe that those not getting the vaccines are only hurting the community, and the people in the community who are immuno comprimised.
The only legitimate laws are the ones created for the people
The only laws which were legitimate and valid in Rousseau's eyes were those which were created for the benefit of the people.Rousseau would not only support mandating vaccinations as a law, but it would be valid and legitimate because it is a law which benefits the people.
People who do not obey laws should be forced to
Even if someone did not want to get vaccinated, they should still be forced to if it were a law, this is where the mandating comes in, not necessarily physically forcing vaccinations, but taking away certain privileges to protect the community
Common Good
Believed in the common good, this is what a community should be the most focused on
this is part of the common good because it is a healthcare crisis which affects everyone. By getting vaccinated helps everyone in the community by keeping them safe
Believed that people should pursue common good rather than their own personal interests
This shows that Rousseau would encourage people to get vaccinations even if they did not originally want to, because people should be more interested and focused on the community rather than themselves.
Politics
Believed in democracy and specifically that people possesed natural goodness which includes the general concern for the welfare of others
It is human nature to be concerned for people who you share a community with. To have empathy and the desire to help those around you. Everyone has the natural instinct to be concerned with others' welfare, so they should want to get the vaccinations that would protect others.
Believed that people are born naturally good, but end up being corrupted by society
Many people who are against vaccinations are influenced by other societal factors, such as; the views of their peers, their political views, etc.
Rousseau would agree that society may be a factor which influences people be corrupted to go against the common good
Role of Government
Believed that the government should stay a seperate institution from the people
Government should not have absolute power, and if they were to create laws which did not benefit the community they should be abolished. This further proves that Rousseau would support mandated vaccinations because it is explicitly described that if the government does not make laws which protect the community, or make laws which are not particularly beneficial it should be abolished.
Rights should not be given up for the government, they should be given up to benefit the common good- mandating vaccinations is not something which is beneficial to the government, but instead beneficial to the community
Autonomy
Said that no one should have to give up their natural rights to the king. The ideal state is to protect everyone while still being free
Rousseau believed that by giving up certain rights you would be giving them up to help the community and protect each other Mandating vaccinations is not giving up rights to the king or the government, you are giving up rights in order to keep the community safe and protected.
People who did not get vaccinated during COVID were unable to do some things in public in order to protect everyone and stop the spread, their rights to do some things were limited in order to protect others but those things that were limited were not necessities so they are still free
Said that by giving up some rights people are still free