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

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.