True Consumer Autonomy: A Formalization and Implications
Michael R. Hyman (),
Alena Kostyk () and
David Trafimow ()
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Michael R. Hyman: Institute for Marketing Futurology and Philosophy
Alena Kostyk: University of Glasgow
David Trafimow: New Mexico State University
Journal of Business Ethics, 2023, vol. 183, issue 3, No 11, 863 pages
Abstract:
Abstract Consumer autonomy is a fundamental topic for marketing ethics scholars. Nonetheless, autonomy’s philosophical treatment may have compromised its conceptual clarity. After reviewing the relevant ethics literature on consumer autonomy, the benefits of formally defining consumer autonomy are illustrated, and a novel formalization is adapted from potential performance theory mathematics. The goal is to transfigure a hitherto amorphous topic via a mathematical formalization that defines true autonomy, actual autonomy, reliability of wills, and reliability of product choice. The crucial and surprising result: an action that decreases true autonomy can increase actual autonomy if that action engenders a sufficient increase in one or both types of reliability. Relating the insights from the formalization to the long-standing debates in consumer autonomy suggests fruitful avenues for future research.
Keywords: True autonomy; Actual autonomy; Reliability of wills; Reliability of product choice; Multiple-order wills (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:183:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-022-05114-0
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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-022-05114-0
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