Ethical Criteria for Health-Promoting Nudges: A Case-by-Case Analysis

American Journal of Bioethics 19 (5):48-59 (2019)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Health-promoting nudges have been put into practice by different agents, in different contexts and with different aims. This article formulates a set of criteria that enables a thorough ethical evaluation of such nudges. As such, it bridges the gap between the abstract, theoretical debates among academics and the actual behavioral interventions being implemented in practice. The criteria are derived from arguments against nudges, which allegedly disrespect nudgees, as these would impose values on nudgees and/or violate their rationality and autonomy. Instead of interpreting these objections as knock-down arguments, I take them as expressing legitimate worries that can often be addressed. I analyze six prototypical nudge cases, such as Google’s rearrangement of fridges and the use of defaults in organ donation registration. I show how the ethical criteria listed are satisfied by most—but not all—nudges in most—but not all—circumstances.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 106,211

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

A Nudge Toward Meaningful Choice.Leah R. Fowler & Jessica L. Roberts - 2019 - American Journal of Bioethics 19 (5):76-78.
The Moral Permissibility of Nudges.Valerie Joly Chock - 2020 - Florida Philosophical Review 19 (1):33-47.
Nudging Towards Inclusivity: The Ethicality of Policies for the Promotion of Inclusion.Manuj Kant - 2023 - Think You?! The Proceedings of the Bay Honors Research Symposium.
Do No Harm: Notes on The Ethical Use of Nudges.Valerie Joly Chock - 2021 - Journal of Design Strategies 10 (1):86-99.
The Ethics and Applications of Nudges.Valerie Joly Chock - 2020 - PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas 1 (2).
Nudging in interpersonal contexts.Yashar Saghai - 2013 - American Journal of Bioethics 13 (6):33-34.
The Ethics of Public Health Nudges.Yashar Saghai - 2012 - Dissertation, Georgetown University

Analytics

Added to PP
2019-05-09

Downloads
63 (#369,340)

6 months
6 (#724,158)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Bart Engelen
Tilburg University