A Libertarian Assessment of Nudges

Abstract

Currently there is a lively debate about the acceptability of ‘nudges’, but it is often not clear what exactly is meant by a nudge or what it is that it is supposed to do. Advocates of nudging, Sunstein and Thaler, suggest that nudges might even be acceptable to libertarians. However, without first clearly defining what a nudge is and how it affects people it is hard to argue its merits and issues. In this thesis I offer a conceptual analysis of both nudging and libertarianism in order to provide some much needed clarity in the ongoing debate. When both concepts are clearly defined and properly understood they are more compatible than they might seem on first glance. To inform my inquiry into the nature of nudges and libertarianism I make use of findings from the field of social cognition.