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Free Riding on the Harm Principle.

¹Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

Public Health Ethics

|July 13, 2026

Summary

Mandatory vaccination policies are often defended using the harm principle. However, this approach requires controversial assumptions about harm, potentially undermining public support for vaccination.

Area of Science:

Bioethics
Public Health Policy
Vaccination Studies

Background:

Mandatory vaccination policies are frequently justified by either 'free riding' arguments or appeals to the 'harm principle'.
The 'harm principle' is widely accepted, making it an attractive basis for defending vaccination mandates.
Roland Pierik and Marcel Verweij utilize the harm principle to argue for mandatory vaccination in their recent work.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically evaluate the application of the harm principle in justifying mandatory vaccination policies.
To examine Steven Smith's critique of using the harm principle as a foundation for such policies.
To assess the controversial nature of claims made when invoking the harm principle for vaccination mandates.

Main Methods:

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Philosophical analysis of ethical principles, specifically the 'harm principle'.

Critical review of arguments presented by Pierik and Verweij regarding vaccine refusal and harm.

Examination of Steven Smith's perspective on the 'free riding' critique of the harm principle.

Main Results:

The defense of mandatory vaccination via the harm principle, as presented by Pierik and Verweij, relies on a controversial interpretation of the principle.
This controversial version of the harm principle may not achieve the widespread support anticipated by its proponents.
Invoking the harm principle to justify policy necessitates assumptions about harm that can alienate potential supporters.

Conclusions:

The reliance on the harm principle for mandatory vaccination policies, without fully acknowledging its controversial aspects, requires more robust argumentation.
Proponents must recognize that defining 'harm' in this context is contentious and requires extensive justification.
Further research should explore alternative or more detailed justifications for mandatory vaccination that address the complexities of the harm principle.