The politics of distrust

Abstract

This paper analyses the interpenetration of epistemic and political issues in understanding and resolving distrust in expert consensus. It is based around the case-study of debates over the safety and efficacy of the “triple vaccine” for Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR). The first section outlines a general model of trust in science, with a particular focus on how we learn from reports of consensus. The second section uses this model to develop an in-depth study of epistemic distrust in the scientific consensus surrounding the MMR vaccine. The final section explores the relationship between reasons for distrust and the concept of inductive risk, tentatively suggesting that arguments for deference to the consensus cannot focus only on epistemic issues but must also engage with substantive evaluative questions.