Philosophical Dimensions of Privacy: An Anthology

The aim of compiling the various essays presented here is to make readily accessible many of the most significant and influential discussions of privacy to be found in the literature. In addition to being representative of the diversity of attitudes toward privacy, this collection has a coherence that results from the authors' focus on the same issues and theories. The main issue addressed in this book is the moral significance of privacy. Some social science and legal treatments are included because of their direct bearing on the moral issues that privacy raises. In addition to the classics on privacy, the author has included an interpretative essay on the privacy literature, which provides a philosophical guideline as to what the issues are and how various thinkers have contributed to their resolution.

This collection of essays makes readily accessible many of the most significant and influential discussions of privacy.

List of contributors; Preface; 1. Privacy: philosophical dimensions of the literature Ferdinand Schoeman; 2. Social distance and the veil Robert F. Murphy; 3. The origins of modern claims to privacy Alan Westin; 4. The right to privacy (the implicit made explicit) Samuel D. Warren and Louis D. Brandeis; 5. Privacy (a legal analysis) William L. Prosser; 6. Privacy as an aspect of human dignity: an answer to Dean Prosser Edward J. Bloustein; 7. Privacy (a moral analysis) Charles Fried; 8. Privacy, freedom and respect for persons Stanley I. Benn; 9. Privacy and self-incrimination Robert S. Gerstein; 10. Intimacy and privacy Robert S. Gerstein; 11. The right to privacy Judith Jarvis Thomson; 12. Why privacy is important James Rachels; 13. Privacy, intimacy and personhood Jeffrey H. Reiman; 14. Privacy: some arguments and assumptions Richard A. Wasserstrom; 15. An economic theory of privacy Richard A. Posner; 16. Privacy and the limits of law Ruth Gavison; 17. Privacy and intimate information Ferdinand Schoeman; Selected bibliography; Index of names.