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Nudging and rationality: What is there to worry?

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  • Bart Engelen

Abstract

The literature on nudging has rekindled normative and conceptual debates surrounding the extent to which and the direction in which people can legitimately influence each other’s actions. An oft-heard objection to nudging is that it exploits psychological mechanisms, manipulates people and thereby insufficiently respects their rational decision-making capacities. Bypassing and/or perverting people’s rational capacities, nudges are said to undermine agency. In this paper, I analyze and deflate these criticisms. After disentangling the different conceptions of rationality that pervade the arguments of both nudging enthusiasts and critics, I critically assess how and under which circumstances nudging can be said to undermine, pervert, bypass but also strengthen people’s rationality. Only in a limited set of cases, I argue, does it make sense to object to nudges for making people less rational than they are, can be or should be. Crucial in this respect will be the distinction between outcome-oriented and process-oriented conceptions of rationality.

Suggested Citation

  • Bart Engelen, 2019. "Nudging and rationality: What is there to worry?," Rationality and Society, , vol. 31(2), pages 204-232, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ratsoc:v:31:y:2019:i:2:p:204-232
    DOI: 10.1177/1043463119846743
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mark D. White, 2013. "The Manipulation of Choice," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-31357-7, December.
    2. Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein, 2023. "Libertarian paternalism," Chapters, in: Cass R. Sunstein & Lucia A. Reisch (ed.), Research Handbook on Nudges and Society, chapter 1, pages 10-16, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. repec:cup:judgdm:v:11:y:2016:i:4:p:310-325 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Sunstein,Cass R., 2016. "The Ethics of Influence," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107140707, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dominic Lemken & Ainslee Erhard & Simone Wahnschafft, 2024. "A choice architect’s guide to the (autonomous) galaxy: a systematic scoping review of nudge intrusiveness in food choices," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Grant J. Rozeboom, 2023. "How to Evaluate Managerial Nudges," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 1073-1086, February.

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