Is There a Duty to Read the News?
In: Journal of Moral PhilosophySearch for other papers by Amy Berg in
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Abstract
It seems as though we have a duty to read the news – that we’re doing something wrong when we refuse to pay attention to what’s going on in the world. But why? I argue that some plausible justifications for a duty to read the news fail to fully explain this duty: it cannot be justified only by reference to its consequences, or as a duty of democratic citizenship, or as a self-regarding duty. It can, however, be justified on the grounds that we have a positive, imperfect duty of respect for strangers, even when our actions don’t affect them directly. Reading the news is a key way, sometimes the only way, that we can respect those who are strangers to us. I close by considering some of the implications and limitations of this duty.
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Is There a Duty to Read the News?
In: Journal of Moral PhilosophySearch for other papers by Amy Berg in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
It seems as though we have a duty to read the news – that we’re doing something wrong when we refuse to pay attention to what’s going on in the world. But why? I argue that some plausible justifications for a duty to read the news fail to fully explain this duty: it cannot be justified only by reference to its consequences, or as a duty of democratic citizenship, or as a self-regarding duty. It can, however, be justified on the grounds that we have a positive, imperfect duty of respect for strangers, even when our actions don’t affect them directly. Reading the news is a key way, sometimes the only way, that we can respect those who are strangers to us. I close by considering some of the implications and limitations of this duty.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 836 | 334 | 28 |
| Full Text Views | 304 | 31 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 679 | 93 | 7 |