Abstract
The central question that this dissertation answers is: what, if anything,
makes competition morally problematic and how do these moral
problems inform our ethical evaluations of specific competitions in
concrete domains and practices?
In short, it argues that competition has a tendency to corrupt practices, can lead to substantial opportunity, psychological and emotional costs and estranges people from one another. These arguments result in an evaluative framework which can be used to assess the downsides of competition in concrete instances
and inform us about the adjustments that need to be made to create a
‘healthier’ environment (even if the competition is fair and we have
good reasons overall to organise that specific competition).
Ultimately, the dissertation aims to put into question the selfevidence with which competition is introduced and intensified invarious domains of life, such as the labour market, education, health care and academia. It aims to show that the moral problems associated with competition are not mere unfortunate side-effects but baked into its very nature.
My dissertation builds on the work from political and moral
philosophers and economists. It also contains empirical studies to show
that my conceptual and normative claims have bearing in our empirical
reality. My conceptual analysis and evaluative framework offer novel
insights into the moral problems of competition in today’s society and
its institutional implications.
makes competition morally problematic and how do these moral
problems inform our ethical evaluations of specific competitions in
concrete domains and practices?
In short, it argues that competition has a tendency to corrupt practices, can lead to substantial opportunity, psychological and emotional costs and estranges people from one another. These arguments result in an evaluative framework which can be used to assess the downsides of competition in concrete instances
and inform us about the adjustments that need to be made to create a
‘healthier’ environment (even if the competition is fair and we have
good reasons overall to organise that specific competition).
Ultimately, the dissertation aims to put into question the selfevidence with which competition is introduced and intensified invarious domains of life, such as the labour market, education, health care and academia. It aims to show that the moral problems associated with competition are not mere unfortunate side-effects but baked into its very nature.
My dissertation builds on the work from political and moral
philosophers and economists. It also contains empirical studies to show
that my conceptual and normative claims have bearing in our empirical
reality. My conceptual analysis and evaluative framework offer novel
insights into the moral problems of competition in today’s society and
its institutional implications.
| Original language | English |
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| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisors/Advisors |
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| Award date | 16 Feb 2024 |
| Publisher | |
| Print ISBNs | 978-94-6483-758-2 |
| Publication status | Published - 16 Feb 2024 |