Is it wrong to call AIDS denialists “AIDS denialists”?
People commonly referred to as “AIDS denialists” tend to prefer the description “AIDS sceptics”, “AIDS rethinkers” or “AIDS dissidents”, with some regarding “AIDS denialism” as a pejorative term, on a par with racial slurs.
Chris and Mark Hoofnagle define denialism as:
the employment of rhetorical tactics to give the appearance of argument or legitimate debate, when in actuality there is none. These false arguments are used when one has few or no facts to support one’s viewpoint against a scientific consensus or against overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They are effective in distracting from actual useful debate using emotionally appealing, but ultimately empty and illogical assertions.
If “pejorative” is defined as “having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force”, then “AIDS denialist” would certainly seem to fit the bill – but does that mean that it’s wrong to use the term?
It seems to me that this really depends on whether or not “denialism” is an accurate description of the behaviour of the people-commonly-known-as-AIDS-denialists. There are plenty of terms in our language that have a disparaging meaning – “liar”, “alarmist”, “criminal”, “conspiracy theorist”, “bigot”, “crank” etc. – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s always wrong to use them. It would clearly be unfair to describe as a”liar” someone who had lived a life of impeccable honesty. But where a person appears knowingly to have engaged in a systematic campaign of deception, an insistence on the use of a neutral, non-perjorative, term to describe them and their behaviour would actually be a watering down of the truth, and may even be seized on as a validation of their actions.
This is really the problem I have with labels like “AIDS sceptic” (or “AIDS skeptic”). The website “UK-skeptics” defines “skepticism” as “an honest search for knowledge”. To describe those who deny the evidence linking HIV and AIDS as “sceptics” seems therefore to presuppose that they are both honest, and genuinely searching for knowledge (rather than seeking to defend a particular ideological position), which many would dispute.
The term “AIDS dissident” is arguably even worse, conjuring, as it does, images of Soviet-era democracy campaigners being rounded up and imprisoned for speaking the truth to a dogmatic, authoritarian establishment. Those battling to convince the world that HIV is not the cause of AIDS may well see themselves in a similar light, but in reality there have been no jailings or show trials – and 101 badly-formatted websites testify to the unfettered freedom with which the self-described “dissidents” have been able to make their case.
“AIDS rethinker” is perhaps the least objectionable term – but again its accuracy seems questionable, as it suggests a willingness to rethink one’s ideas which many would argue is precisely what is lacking in those who deny the link between AIDS and HIV. It also seems rather broad. AIDS scientists are continually rethinking and redeveloping their ideas about the disease as new data comes along, and could therefore quite reasonably be described as “AIDS rethinkers” too. If we’re looking for an alternative term that uniquely identifies those commonly referred to as “AIDS denialists”, then “AIDS rethinker” seems to obfuscate matters rather than clarify them.
None of the commonly-used terms for describing those who deny the link between HIV and AIDS seem to me to be value-neutral. “AIDS denialist” is a term with negative connotations – but I’m not sure that this matters. If those negative connotations are justified, then the term is accurate. And when we’re dealing with a problem as serious as HIV and AIDS, accuracy is arguably more important than sparing the feelings of a group of dangerous and misguided people.
See also: The parallels between AIDS denial and Holocaust negationism
Richard Wilson's blog 
Hello Richard,
I myself think the very addition of “ism” to the word “denial” to describe as an ideology those who disagree that HIV is the cause of aids is in itself inherently dangerous. The reason would be that those boxed together as being an ideology can easily enough retort with a good turn of the table. It would be easy for those who agree that hiv does not cause aids to retort with the word “HIVism” and “HIVists” to describe their own opponents as being the ideology.
And then it becomes even more difficult to sort out which is the pot calling the kettle black. And who is to say which side is the “ism”? Minority beliefs have been mistaken many times in human history for “isms” that later became globally accepted as reality.
No doubt Galileos belief could have been labeled “roundworldism”, and the backers of Galilean belief could at one time have been called “denialists” or “RoundWorldists” and Galileo could have shot back “flatearthism” to describe their belief.
The only term of the above example that presents itself as true today is yesteryears denialists opinion of flatearthism as wrong.
And as contentious as the hiv issue is fast becoming, no doubt such could also be the case this time as well. And be aware, it is assuredly a fast spreading belief.
As such, just because the majority consensus is on one side of any issue, it does not necessarily mean that the opposition is merely an ideology reducable to an “ism” or the followers to an “ist”, no matter how much that may seem to be the case to the opposing believers. Yesterdays “ism” is sometimes changed later to todays commonly accepted knowledge while yesterdays common knowledge has many times in history reverted later to an “ism”!
Michael
June 9, 2009 at 4:51 am
Michael:
You seem concerned…
D-Notice
October 25, 2009 at 10:51 am