Philosopher Noam Chomsky’s view that unvaccinated people should be ‘isolated’ sparks debate

Philosopher Noam Chomsky has sparked a heated debate by arguing that those who do not get vaccines should be “isolated” from others.

In a wide ranging interview recorded in June in which he answered audience submitted questions, Chomsky offered his views on mandating vaccines and said that while he disagreed with the policy he thought those who refused jabs should isolate because they become “a danger to the community”. The clip has resurfaced on social media today and is causing controversy.

He said: “People who refuse to accept vaccines, I think the right response for them is not to force them to but rather to insist that they be isolated.

“If people decide ‘I am willing to be a danger to the community by refusing the vaccine’ they should then say well ‘I also have the decency to isolate myself. I don’t want a vaccine but I don’t have the right to run around harming people’.

“That should be a convention. Enforcing is a different question. It should be understood and we should try to get it to be understood.”

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Reacting to his comments, some people thought he had hit the nail on the head:

While others disagreed with him:

Chomsky added that if an illness like smallpox became “rapid” then there may be a case for mandatory vaccinations but said we were not in a similar situation currently.

Whatever you make of his views, he has definitely provided food for thought.