Old-Fashioned Paternalism Is Back
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on August 7th, 2008 4:28 am by HL
Old-Fashioned Paternalism Is Back
One of the hot new ideas in the academy is “libertarian paternalism.” Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, authors of the book “Nudge,” say the goal is “enlisting the science of choice to make life easier for people” and “gently nudging them in directions that will make their lives better.” An example: letting companies enroll workers in 401(k) plans unless they object. But there’s an older and more prevalent notion about how to get people to do things that will make their lives better. You might call it coercive paternalism, and it’s thriving.