Individual and Collective Intentionality in Vanuatu: Deliberation, Theory of Mind, and the Vaccine

The proposed project intends to explicate how local theories of mind (specifically, intentionality) structure co-operative action in Vanuatu. The project follows on from a common observation within the anthropology of Melanesia that there is a hesitancy to comment upon the content of other peoples' thoughts. This has attracted sustained theoretical attention in recent years in terms of what it means for constructions of authority. It is argued that eschewing types of mind-reading is one way in which personal autonomy is maintained and respected. Human minds are positioned as sovereign and inviolable loci of decision making, and co-operative effort thus requires full and hard-won consent.