Manipulation

Abstract

Abstract This book seeks to answer three main questions about manipulation: What is it? How does it work? Why does it seem bad? It begins by examining thirteen paradigm examples of ordinary manipulation, including playing on the emotions, emotional blackmail, gaslighting, nagging, charm offensives, misdirection, and flattery. Next, it surveys existing accounts of manipulation, and finds that none of them properly identifies manipulation in all thirteen paradigm examples. However, two accounts, when combined, do properly identify manipulation in all thirteen examples. One of these sees manipulation as a form of trickery; the other sees it as a form of pressure. An analysis of manipulative pressure shows that it works by getting the target to mistakenly choose the lesser good over the greater. This finding paves the way for the Mistake Account: Manipulation is an influence that operates by getting the target to make a mistake in the target’s psychological states or processes. The book assembles a strong cumulative case in favor of the Mistake Account. It then details various sorts of mistakes involved in manipulation, and the psychological processes by which manipulators get people to make them. Turning to the moral status of manipulation, the book argues that, as with deception, all instances of manipulation are bad because they involve inducing mistakes; however, the most morally egregious instances of manipulation also have bad effects on well-being and autonomy. The book’s concluding chapters apply the Mistake Account to various influences, including priming, conditioning, nudges, advertising, sales, and online influences.

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