Mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudging
Nudges have proven to be effective tools for steering citizens toward desirable behaviors and make valuable additions to any policy-maker’s toolbox. Disappointingly, however, there are no mechanistic explanations for how nudges work, leaving policy-makers unable to explain what happens when they are...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Mimesis Edizioni, Milano
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.rifp.it/ojs/index.php/rifp/article/view/rifp.2022.0017 |
| _version_ | 1828072156140929024 |
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| author | Stefano Calboli Vincenzo Fano |
| author_facet | Stefano Calboli Vincenzo Fano |
| author_sort | Stefano Calboli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nudges have proven to be effective tools for steering citizens toward desirable behaviors and make valuable additions to any policy-maker’s toolbox. Disappointingly, however, there are no mechanistic explanations for how nudges work, leaving policy-makers unable to explain what happens when they are implemented. This paper identifies some neglected ethical implications of the resulting citizens lack of awareness of such mechanisms. We first examine mechanistic explanations in relation to citizens’ understanding on how they work. Then, we look at mechanistic explanations in light of the suggestion advanced by some ethicists that nudges be considered ethically acceptable in modern liberal democracies provided the explicit transparency of the nudges employed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:06:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1c7c36ee13004e0595191142c4889e79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2039-4667 2239-2629 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:06:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Mimesis Edizioni, Milano |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia |
| spelling | doaj.art-1c7c36ee13004e0595191142c4889e792023-01-04T12:33:14ZdeuMimesis Edizioni, MilanoRivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia2039-46672239-26292022-12-0113317518610.4453/rifp.2022.0017Mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudgingStefano CalboliVincenzo FanoNudges have proven to be effective tools for steering citizens toward desirable behaviors and make valuable additions to any policy-maker’s toolbox. Disappointingly, however, there are no mechanistic explanations for how nudges work, leaving policy-makers unable to explain what happens when they are implemented. This paper identifies some neglected ethical implications of the resulting citizens lack of awareness of such mechanisms. We first examine mechanistic explanations in relation to citizens’ understanding on how they work. Then, we look at mechanistic explanations in light of the suggestion advanced by some ethicists that nudges be considered ethically acceptable in modern liberal democracies provided the explicit transparency of the nudges employed.https://www.rifp.it/ojs/index.php/rifp/article/view/rifp.2022.0017nudgeethics of nudgingmechanistic evidencein-principle transparencyexplicit transparency |
| spellingShingle | Stefano Calboli Vincenzo Fano Mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudging Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia nudge ethics of nudging mechanistic evidence in-principle transparency explicit transparency |
| title | Mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudging |
| title_full | Mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudging |
| title_fullStr | Mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudging |
| title_short | Mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudging |
| title_sort | mechanistic explanations and the ethics of nudging |
| topic | nudge ethics of nudging mechanistic evidence in-principle transparency explicit transparency |
| url | https://www.rifp.it/ojs/index.php/rifp/article/view/rifp.2022.0017 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stefanocalboli mechanisticexplanationsandtheethicsofnudging AT vincenzofano mechanisticexplanationsandtheethicsofnudging |