Nudging for others’ sake: An ethical analysis of the legitimacy of nudging healthcare workers to accept influenza immunization

A core idea underlying nudging is that it helps individuals to achieve their own goals, yet many nudges actually aim at collective goals or specifically target the benefit of others. An example is nudging healthcare workers to be vaccinated against influenza. I distinguish between self‐regarding nud...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioethics 2021-02, Vol.35 (2), p.143-150
Main Author: Hoven, Mariette
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
beneficence
Decision Making
Ethical Analysis
harm
Health care
Health Personnel
Humans
Immunization
Influenza
influenza immunization of healthcare personnel
Influenza, Human - prevention & control
Legitimacy
Medical ethics
Medical personnel
nudging
Original
other‐regarding nudges
solidarity
Vaccination
Workers
‘as judged by themselves’ standard
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Summary:A core idea underlying nudging is that it helps individuals to achieve their own goals, yet many nudges actually aim at collective goals or specifically target the benefit of others. An example is nudging healthcare workers to be vaccinated against influenza. I distinguish between self‐regarding nudges, which primarily benefit the nudgee, and other‐regarding nudges, which mainly benefit others, and argue that the default justificatory reason to legitimize self‐regarding nudges, namely the ‘as judged by themselves’ standard, does not apply and that we need to look for other justifications. I examine several possible moral justifications to support strong other‐regarding nudges, namely beneficence, the harm principle and solidarity.
ISSN:0269-9702
1467-8519
DOI:10.1111/bioe.12819