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

Abstract

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.