10th Annual Fall Ethics Symposium – Session 1
The Ethics of Nudging at Cosumnes River College
Session 1
Nudged & Rational by Timothy Houk, Ph.D Candidate, Department of Philosophy, University of California Davis
00:00 Opening Remarks
00:35 Russell DiSilvestro
03:33 Rick Schubert
05:17 Christina M. Bellon
07:57 Edward Bush
10:09 Panel Introductions
13:52 Nudged & Rational by Timothy Houk
51:46 Panel Q&A
1:20:09 Audience Q&A
1:58:24 Closing
Timothy Houk aims to defend the practice of nudging against a particular moral concern. Some argue that nudging is morally objectionable because it somehow interferes with, or undermines, the rationality of the nudged agents. Promoting rational choice is good and preventing or thwarting rational choice is bad (perhaps because it violates people’s autonomy or prevents them from giving informed consent). So nudging appears to be bad. However, Houk argues that nudging does not typically threaten rationality in this way. He evaluates what effect nudging has on the deliberative process and other resulting decisions, and he argues that nudging typically leaves the nudged agent’s rationality intact. Lastly, Houk explores what implications this has for nudging’s supposed threat to autonomy.
Timothy Houk was educated at Sacramento State (BA, Philosophy), Biola University (MA, Philosophy of Religion & Ethics), and UC Davis (MA, Ph.D Candidate, Philosophy).
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The Center for Practical & Professional Ethics – http://www.csus.edu/cppe
Cosumnes River College – http://www.crc.losrios.edu/
For more information about Los Rios Community College District –http://www.losrios.edu/
