An Impossibility Result on Nudging Grounded in the Theory of Intentional Action

Sergio Beraldo

CSEF Working Papers from Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy

Abstract: The critical literature on nudging lacks a formal, smoking-gun argument against its use. I offer an impossibility result, grounded in the theory of intentional action, that provides such an argument. I prove that if nudges are motivationally irrelevant - as their supporters maintain - any induced choice is unintentional and just reflects the preferences of the choice architect. Autonomy is therefore violated, and nudging proves to be inconsistent with liberal principles at a fundamental level.

Keywords: Nudging; Manipulation; Autonomy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D03 D6 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-09-15, Revised 2017-09-30
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-exp, nep-mic and nep-neu
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sef:csefwp:485

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