You're reading a post titled “Designing better choices through libertarian paternalism” from the archives of Big Contrarian. It was originally published on April 22nd, 2008 at 06:09 AM. If you enjoy it, you should subscribe to this site’s RSS feed, or its Twitter page.

Designing better choices through libertarian paternalism:

The libertarian aspect of the approach lies in the straightforward insistence that, in general, people should be free to do what they like. They should be permitted to opt out of arrangements they dislike, and even make a mess of their lives if they want to. The paternalistic aspect acknowledges that it is legitimate for choice architects to try to influence people’s behavior in order to make their lives longer, healthier and better.

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