This is an introductory essay prepared to open the 2015 Georgetown Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics symposium on “The Ethics of Nudging.” After giving a brief description of the behavioral economics conception of nudging, I pose four questions designed to spur ethical analysis of the practice: 1) Is Nudging Libertarian Paternalism or Libertarian Paternalism?, 2) Is Nudging Ethically Justified?, 3) Should We Be Nudging Politicians?, and 4) Is Nudging Old Wine in New Glasses?
Some Noodging About Nudging: Four Questions About Libertarian Paternalism
Some Noodging About Nudging: Four Questions About Libertarian Paternalism
Recent Publications
- “Equal Opportunity, Not Reparations” in the Handbook of Equality of Opportunity (2024)
- “A Bayesian Solution to Hallsson’s Puzzle”
- Markets without Limits: Moral Virtues and Commercial Interests, 2nd Edition
- “Optimizing political influence: a jury theorem with dynamic competence and dependence”
- Why not anarchism?
Recent News
- Advocacy group concerned pay-for-plasma clinics expanding to Ontario will hurt voluntary donations
- Jason Brennan and Hélène Landemore, Debating Democracy (University of Zurich’s UBS Center, 2024)
- Jason Brennan “Everything Wrong with Democracy” on the Alex O’Connor Podcast (January 28, 2024)
- On the affirmative action ruling, the Supreme Court got it half right
- Is the effective altruism movement in trouble?