Works on: 'Voting Matters' especially the effect and ethics of Voting Advice Applications; - 'Organ shortage', the proper role of states, markets and families in ending the organ shortage; - 'Distributive Justice', especially personal responsibility and health.
This is the accepted manuscript (post-print version) of the article. Contentwise, the post-print ... more This is the accepted manuscript (post-print version) of the article. Contentwise, the post-print version is identical to the final published version, but there may be differences in typography and layout. The published version can be found here.
The work of prominent analytical Marxist, G.A. Cohen, offers a vision of socialism with distribut... more The work of prominent analytical Marxist, G.A. Cohen, offers a vision of socialism with distributive justice and community at its core. While Cohen's views on distributive justice have been hugely influential, much less has been said about community. This article argues that community plays three distinct roles in Cohen's socialism. One is as an independent value, the second is as a necessary adjacent counterpart to justice, which serves both to restrict and facilitate distributive equality, and the third is as a critique of the liberal contractualist view of humanity. We argue that these are distinct and valuable elements in Cohen's thought, and each must be recognized to understand the range and implications of Cohen's socialism.
This is the accepted manuscript (post-print version) of the article. Contentwise, the post-print ... more This is the accepted manuscript (post-print version) of the article. Contentwise, the post-print version is identical to the final published version, but there may be differences in typography and layout. Please refer to the published version. Albertsen, A. Covid-19 and age discrimination: benefit maximization, fairness, and justified age-based rationing.
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine, 2023
Should priority in the allocation of organs be given to those who have previously donated or decl... more Should priority in the allocation of organs be given to those who have previously donated or declared their willingness to do so? This article examines the Israeli priority rule in light of two prominent critiques of priority rules, pertaining to failure to reciprocate and unfairness. The scope and content of these critiques are interpreted from the perspective of equality of opportunity. As the Israeli priority rule may reasonably be criticized for unfairness and failing to reward certain behaviors, the article develops an adjusted priority rule, which removes and adjust the elements in the Israeli priority rule deemed problematic. However, such a priority rule is complex to the extent that it may fail to increase donation rates and furthermore introduce new concerns of fairness, as the better off may be better able to navigate the complex adjusted priority rule.
A comprehensive understanding of the ethics of the Covid-19 pandemic priorities must be sensitive... more A comprehensive understanding of the ethics of the Covid-19 pandemic priorities must be sensitive to the influence of social inequality. We distinguish between ex-ante and ex-post relevance of social inequality for Covid-19 disadvantage. Ex-ante relevance refers to the distribution of risks of exposure. Ex-post relevance refers to effect of inequality on how patients respond to infection. In the case of Covid-19, both ex-ante and ex-post effects suggest a distribution which is sensitive to the prevalence social inequality. On this basis, we provide a generic fairness argument for the claim that welfare states ought to favour a healthcare priority scheme that gives particular weight to protecting the socially disadvantaged.
For many, receiving an organ transplantation is the only viable way to prolong their lives and in... more For many, receiving an organ transplantation is the only viable way to prolong their lives and increase their quality of life. However, the demand for organs exceeds supply. Are there efficient and ethically acceptable ways of increasing the number of organ donors? Recently, nudging has been proposed as an attractive policy instrument. Nudging eschews coercing people. It affects instead the choice architecture within which people make their choices. Still, autonomy concerns arise. Accordingly, we have to make a difficult trade-off between augmenting people’s welfare, on the one hand, and respecting their autonomy on the other. An opt-out system in which people count as donors unless they state otherwise is, however, likely to increase donations considerably, and to do so at acceptable costs in terms of infringements on autonomy.
This is the accepted manuscript (post-print version) of the article. Contentwise, the post-print ... more This is the accepted manuscript (post-print version) of the article. Contentwise, the post-print version is identical to the final published version, but there may be differences in typography and layout. The published version can be found here.
The work of prominent analytical Marxist, G.A. Cohen, offers a vision of socialism with distribut... more The work of prominent analytical Marxist, G.A. Cohen, offers a vision of socialism with distributive justice and community at its core. While Cohen's views on distributive justice have been hugely influential, much less has been said about community. This article argues that community plays three distinct roles in Cohen's socialism. One is as an independent value, the second is as a necessary adjacent counterpart to justice, which serves both to restrict and facilitate distributive equality, and the third is as a critique of the liberal contractualist view of humanity. We argue that these are distinct and valuable elements in Cohen's thought, and each must be recognized to understand the range and implications of Cohen's socialism.
This is the accepted manuscript (post-print version) of the article. Contentwise, the post-print ... more This is the accepted manuscript (post-print version) of the article. Contentwise, the post-print version is identical to the final published version, but there may be differences in typography and layout. Please refer to the published version. Albertsen, A. Covid-19 and age discrimination: benefit maximization, fairness, and justified age-based rationing.
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine, 2023
Should priority in the allocation of organs be given to those who have previously donated or decl... more Should priority in the allocation of organs be given to those who have previously donated or declared their willingness to do so? This article examines the Israeli priority rule in light of two prominent critiques of priority rules, pertaining to failure to reciprocate and unfairness. The scope and content of these critiques are interpreted from the perspective of equality of opportunity. As the Israeli priority rule may reasonably be criticized for unfairness and failing to reward certain behaviors, the article develops an adjusted priority rule, which removes and adjust the elements in the Israeli priority rule deemed problematic. However, such a priority rule is complex to the extent that it may fail to increase donation rates and furthermore introduce new concerns of fairness, as the better off may be better able to navigate the complex adjusted priority rule.
A comprehensive understanding of the ethics of the Covid-19 pandemic priorities must be sensitive... more A comprehensive understanding of the ethics of the Covid-19 pandemic priorities must be sensitive to the influence of social inequality. We distinguish between ex-ante and ex-post relevance of social inequality for Covid-19 disadvantage. Ex-ante relevance refers to the distribution of risks of exposure. Ex-post relevance refers to effect of inequality on how patients respond to infection. In the case of Covid-19, both ex-ante and ex-post effects suggest a distribution which is sensitive to the prevalence social inequality. On this basis, we provide a generic fairness argument for the claim that welfare states ought to favour a healthcare priority scheme that gives particular weight to protecting the socially disadvantaged.
For many, receiving an organ transplantation is the only viable way to prolong their lives and in... more For many, receiving an organ transplantation is the only viable way to prolong their lives and increase their quality of life. However, the demand for organs exceeds supply. Are there efficient and ethically acceptable ways of increasing the number of organ donors? Recently, nudging has been proposed as an attractive policy instrument. Nudging eschews coercing people. It affects instead the choice architecture within which people make their choices. Still, autonomy concerns arise. Accordingly, we have to make a difficult trade-off between augmenting people’s welfare, on the one hand, and respecting their autonomy on the other. An opt-out system in which people count as donors unless they state otherwise is, however, likely to increase donations considerably, and to do so at acceptable costs in terms of infringements on autonomy.
Inden for den politiske filosofi har spørgsmålet om fordelingsmaessig retfaerdighed nydt betydeli... more Inden for den politiske filosofi har spørgsmålet om fordelingsmaessig retfaerdighed nydt betydelige interesse i de senere år. Ofte fremhaeves liberale bidrag som de, der er leveret af John Rawls og Ronald Dworkin, eller libertaere positioner som den Robert Nozick stod for. I ethvert vaerk der forholder sig til disse tre hovednavne i litteraturen vil ét navn gå igen som en central fortolker og kritikker af dem alle: G.A. Cohen. Vrousalis' bog The Political Philosophy of G.A. Cohen – Back to Socialists Basics er det første forsøg på at give en samlet fremstilling af Cohens politiske filosofi.
Equality of opportunity, once a rather peripheral idea in debates over distributive justice, is r... more Equality of opportunity, once a rather peripheral idea in debates over distributive justice, is receiving increased attention. In his recent book, Bottlenecks: A New Theory of Equality of Opportunity, Joseph Fishkin takes on the task of proposing 'a new way of thinking about equal opportunity and about the myriad of questions in law, public policy, and institutional design that center on notions of equal opportunity' (1). For two reasons this is a quite ambitious task. One is that the literature on equal opportunity is now vast, which makes it hard to flesh out a novel contribution and relate it to existing positions. The other is that the idea of equality of opportunity seems relevant in so many different and diverse areas that discussing specific applications will almost always result in important areas being left out or not given sufficient attention. However, in pursuing his aim, Fishkin delivers an interesting account. Fishkin states that opportunities are important because of what they enable us to do and become, and because the opportunities open to us shape who we are (2, 3). He voices a number of reservations regarding how the literature usually engages with the idea of equality of opportunity. Importantly, he stresses that we tend to discuss equality of opportunities as ex ante structures, and tend to consider the ideal fulfilled once people have equal opportunities from birth (or upon entering adulthood) (7). According to Fishkin such reasoning fails to acknowledge the importance of opportunities available to people 'along the way, including for those who have, for one reason or another, failed to jump through important hoops at particular ages' (7). Caring for people's ability to shape their own lives should also
The idea of equality of opportunity (EOP) has come to some prominence in recent years. Segall not... more The idea of equality of opportunity (EOP) has come to some prominence in recent years. Segall notes at first that EOP was not always this fashionable.
English intro: In 2020 I published a book on organ donation. It is published by Aarhus University... more English intro: In 2020 I published a book on organ donation. It is published by Aarhus University Press. The book is in Danish and the website for the book can be found here: The book explores alternatives to the current danish opt-in model for organ donation. Specifically, it discusses the ethical permissibility of opt-out, mandated choice and priority rules. A chapter is dedicated to the role of the family and rejects the so-called family veto. The book recommends a change to an opt-out system, arguing that it is a) likely to bring about more organs for transplantation and b) consistent with proper respect for autonomy. If you have any questions about the book please write me on aba@ps.au.dk
Uploads