In recent years, there has been a growing movement to use “nudges” in public policy. The idea is that small changes in the way choices are presented can lead to better outcomes, without requiring people to make difficult decisions.
This approach has been used in a variety of domains, from retirement savings to organ donation. In the area of bioethics, nudges have been proposed as a way to increase vaccination rates, reduce waste in biomedical research, and promote organ donation.
There are many potential benefits of using nudges in bioethics. Nudges can help us make better decisions by taking our cognitive biases into account. They can also be used to promote social goals, such as increasing vaccination rates or reducing organ shortages.
However, there are also some potential risks associated with nudging. Nudges may be used to manipulate people into making choices that they would not otherwise make.
They may also lead to a loss of autonomy and control over our own lives. In many cases, the hardest part of making an ethical decision is not knowing what the right thing to do is; it’s knowing that there is no easy answer and having to choose between two equally undesirable options.
