Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Ethics of Loneliness (The Ethics of Loneliness and Sociability)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-04-01 al 2025-09-30
CONTEXT
This project explores the moral duties of individuals and states to protect people from loneliness and to help them guard against it themselves. Loneliness is defined here as the negative mental states (e.g. sadness, despair) people feel when they lack sufficient or meaningful relationships. Most liberal thinkers are skeptical of duties that would require adults to offer companionship to others, holding that individuals should be free to choose whether, and with whom, they socialize. John Stuart Mill famously defended the right to associate with whomever one prefers, a view echoed by David Miller, who stresses the importance of not being forced into associations against one’s will.
This liberal view of sociability remains influential in moral and political philosophy. However, recent findings from psychology and medical science challenge its adequacy. Chronic loneliness is widespread and harmful. Even before the pandemic, significant numbers of older adults in Europe and North America reported frequent loneliness. High-risk groups also include caregivers, people with disabilities, and adolescents—many of whom report feeling lonely often. The consequences of chronic loneliness include depression, dementia, and poor physical health. It also imposes serious economic costs, with one country (the UK) estimating billions lost annually due to loneliness-related ill health. These concerns highlight the urgent need to reassess the liberal stance on sociability, a task that philosophers have largely overlooked.
OVERALL OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED IMPACT
Drawing on philosophical, psychological, and sociological work, this project aims to clarify the moral responsibilities individuals and states have in preventing and addressing loneliness. In so doing, it will also consider whether certain measures against loneliness may be morally problematic. For instance, some question the ethics of allowing people with severe dementia to interact with social robots they do not recognize as non-sentient. The project will culminate in the first normative theory of loneliness in academic literature. Through its publications, website, workshops, and teaching, it will help establish the ethics of loneliness and sociability as a new area within moral and political philosophy. Its outreach will also raise public awareness of the moral stakes of our social lives and bring philosophical insight to broader debates on loneliness and connection.
This project explores the moral duties of individuals and states to protect people from loneliness and to help them guard against it themselves. Loneliness is defined here as the negative mental states (e.g. sadness, despair) people feel when they lack sufficient or meaningful relationships. Most liberal thinkers are skeptical of duties that would require adults to offer companionship to others, holding that individuals should be free to choose whether, and with whom, they socialize. John Stuart Mill famously defended the right to associate with whomever one prefers, a view echoed by David Miller, who stresses the importance of not being forced into associations against one’s will.
This liberal view of sociability remains influential in moral and political philosophy. However, recent findings from psychology and medical science challenge its adequacy. Chronic loneliness is widespread and harmful. Even before the pandemic, significant numbers of older adults in Europe and North America reported frequent loneliness. High-risk groups also include caregivers, people with disabilities, and adolescents—many of whom report feeling lonely often. The consequences of chronic loneliness include depression, dementia, and poor physical health. It also imposes serious economic costs, with one country (the UK) estimating billions lost annually due to loneliness-related ill health. These concerns highlight the urgent need to reassess the liberal stance on sociability, a task that philosophers have largely overlooked.
OVERALL OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED IMPACT
Drawing on philosophical, psychological, and sociological work, this project aims to clarify the moral responsibilities individuals and states have in preventing and addressing loneliness. In so doing, it will also consider whether certain measures against loneliness may be morally problematic. For instance, some question the ethics of allowing people with severe dementia to interact with social robots they do not recognize as non-sentient. The project will culminate in the first normative theory of loneliness in academic literature. Through its publications, website, workshops, and teaching, it will help establish the ethics of loneliness and sociability as a new area within moral and political philosophy. Its outreach will also raise public awareness of the moral stakes of our social lives and bring philosophical insight to broader debates on loneliness and connection.
To date, our research team—comprising the Principal Investigator and two PhD students—has published 11 papers exploring ethical questions related to loneliness and sociability. These works address topics such as how dating apps can both exacerbate and alleviate loneliness and what this means from an ethical perspective; the responsibilities individuals have to protect themselves from loneliness; and the role of the state in promoting social inclusion for neurodiverse people in public spaces and workplaces. The team has also produced reviews surveying the rapidly growing body of philosophical literature on loneliness.
In addition, its members are co-editing a special issue on loneliness for a scientific journal and have established collaborations with research groups working on related topics in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
In addition, its members are co-editing a special issue on loneliness for a scientific journal and have established collaborations with research groups working on related topics in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Our research shows that dating apps, which have become the main setting where people meet romantic partners in many countries, have far greater potential to alleviate loneliness and social isolation than is commonly recognized. However, much of this potential remains untapped due to a misalignment between the commercial interests of app developers and the needs of users seeking meaningful connections. Addressing this misalignment may require regulation, the creation of non-profit alternatives, and better informing users about how certain app features may undermine relationship stability.
We have also found several cost-effective ways to make public spaces, workplaces, and hiring practices more inclusive of neurodiverse individuals. This is especially important given that autistic people face disproportionately high levels of social exclusion and loneliness.
Furthermore, our work highlights that we have significant moral responsibilities not only to help others avoid loneliness but also to protect ourselves from it. This may involve cultivating a large and diverse social network capable of withstanding the inevitable losses that often come with aging.
Perhaps the most surprising finding to date is that increasing birth rates in aging societies could be one of the most effective strategies for preventing and reducing loneliness and social isolation
We have also found several cost-effective ways to make public spaces, workplaces, and hiring practices more inclusive of neurodiverse individuals. This is especially important given that autistic people face disproportionately high levels of social exclusion and loneliness.
Furthermore, our work highlights that we have significant moral responsibilities not only to help others avoid loneliness but also to protect ourselves from it. This may involve cultivating a large and diverse social network capable of withstanding the inevitable losses that often come with aging.
Perhaps the most surprising finding to date is that increasing birth rates in aging societies could be one of the most effective strategies for preventing and reducing loneliness and social isolation