WP 2025-05.
Executive Summary
The temptation to rely on findings from behavioral economics to condition human behavior
has given rise to libertarian paternalism, an approach to public policy design that leverages
psychological insights to steer decision-making. In this talk, I discuss whether this approach
genuinely respects individual freedom. My discussion analyzes the philosophical underpinnings
of libertarian paternalism, questions its compatibility with genuine autonomy, and proposes a
reasons-based framework for evaluating its recommendations.
Thefundamental tension explored here lies in whether freedom of choice is merely a matter of
having the formal right to select from available options, or whether it requires deeper conditions,
namely, the opportunity to make intentional, reason-based decisions.
Mydiscussion will also address the consequences of the growing capacity of both public and
private organizations to influence choices through increasingly refined variations in the choice
context, made possible by the widespread use of artificial intelligence and big data analytics.
These developments raise concerns about the erosion of individual autonomy in exercising
choice, whether in market transactions or in other areas of life.
