Decision Making, Values and (Dis)Trust in Science: Two Cases from Public Health

Elena Popa ()
Additional contact information
Elena Popa: Jagiellonian University, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics

A chapter in The Science and Art of Simulation, 2024, pp 161-172 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This paper examines trust in science in relation to public health and decisions affecting different groups. I employ philosophical work on trust and distrust, particularly how the perpetuation of injustices leads to warranted distrust, and literature on science and values to argue that trust in science can increase if justice and equity are taken into account in the decision-making process. As illustration, I discuss the case of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, and protecting maternal and fetal health from metylmercury poisoning by removing fish from the diet. Both examples involve measures that take a disproportionate toll on the most vulnerable: the economically less-off and historically discriminated groups. More just, and thus trust conducive, decisions would consider the provision of additional support for those affected, alongside incorporating broader concerns about welfare, or environmental safety.

Keywords: Science and values; Public health; Trust; Distrust (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-031-68058-8_11

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783031680588

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-68058-8_11

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Books from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().