The Normative Implications of the Preference for Identified People Cover Image

Normatywne implikacje preferencji wobec osób zidentyfikowanych
The Normative Implications of the Preference for Identified People

Author(s): Tomasz Żuradzki
Subject(s): Philosophy, Philosophical Traditions, Social Philosophy, Special Branches of Philosophy
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: identified people; statistical people; uncertainty; risk; healthcare; Caspar Hare

Summary/Abstract: The results of empirical research show that people prefer to help identified individuals rather than unidentified ones. This preference has an important influence on many private and public decisions, for example concerning vaccination or the distribution of healthcare resources. The aim of this article is to define the terms: “identified”, “unidentified”, “statistical”, and then to analyze three philosophical arguments concerning the normative implications of this preference: 1) contractualism ex ante; 2) fair distribution of chances and risks; 3) principles regarding the concentration of good effects and the distribution of bad effects. I will demonstrate that these arguments, which are related to interesting philosophical problems, such as counterfactuals, are not convincing.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 51
  • Page Range: 113-136
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Polish