Paternalism: theory and practice

"Is it allowable for your government, or anyone else, to influence or coerce you 'for your own sake'? This is a question about paternalism, or interference with a person's liberty or autonomy with the intention of promoting their good or averting harm, which has created considerable controversy at least since John Stuart Mill's On Liberty. Mill famously decried paternalism of any kind, whether carried out by private individuals or the state. In this volume of new essays, leading moral, political and legal philosophers address how to define paternalism, its justification, and the implications for public policy, professional ethics and criminal law. So-called 'libertarian' or non-coercive paternalism receives considerable attention. The discussion addresses the nature of freedom and autonomy and the relation of individuals to law, policy and the state. The volume will interest a wide range of readers in political philosophy, public policy and the philosophy of law"--

EnforceabilityAn anti-paternalist objection to the principle of fairness; No hard paternalism?; Is paternalism morally objectionable?; Conclusion; 8 Paternalism in economics; Introduction; What is minimalism?; What is paternalism?; Is minimalism paternalistic?; On the distinction between values and preferences; Avoiding paternalism; Conclusion: Burying the minimalist nanny state; 9 Choice Architecture: A mechanism for improving decisions while preserving liberty?; Introduction; Making people better off; What does ""better off"" mean?; Who is made ""better off""?

The problem of cognitive and affective biases and errors affecting the choice architect's judgmentMotivational problems such as indifference, conflicts of interest, or malevolence affecting the choice architectś judgment; Compatibility with individual liberty; The problem of manipulation and the transparency requirement; The problem of blocking or burdening choices; What would a true libertarian do?; 10 A psychological defense of paternalism; Introduction; Autonomy objections; Will they? Can they?42; Perceptions of paternalism; ""Light"" paternalism; ""Positive"" paternalism.