Interpersonal relationships and the ethical issues of proximity in decision-making

Abstract

This article examines the place to be given to issues relating specifically to proximity, within the broader category of interpersonal relationships likely to affect the meaning of choices. More specifically, we ask whether the special role of proximity is likely to influence the ethical issues associated with the value to be attached to the possibility of free choice among the options available in social life. A thought experiment illustrates the complexity of this influence and the resulting difficulty of predicting choices on the basis of personal values.