An Intrusion Theory of Privacy

This paper offers a general theory of privacy, a theory that takes privacy to consist in being free from certain kinds of intrusions. On this understanding, privacy interests are distinct and distinguishable from those in solitude, anonymity, and property, for example, or from the fact that others possess, with neither consent nor permission, personal information about oneself. Privacy intrusions have both epistemic and psychological components, and can range in value from relatively trivial considerations to those of profound consequence for an individual's dignity, integrity, and autonomy. Thus while the focus of this theory is privacy per se—privacy as being free from certain kinds of intrusions—it has significant implications, discussed briefly, for what properly counts as the content of moral or legal rights to privacy.

Title	An Intrusion Theory of Privacy
Creator	Panichas, George E.
Publisher	Res Publica
Academic Department	Philosophy
Division	Humanities
Organization	Lafayette College
Date Issued	March 1, 2014
Date Available	2023-01-30
Type	Article
Language	English
Subject	Privacy, Right of (view authority )
Keyword	Privacy
	Disruptive epistemic access
	Warren and Brandeis
	Privacy as intrusion
	The right to privacy
	Epistemic access
Bibliographic Citation	Panichas, G.E. An Intrusion Theory of Privacy. Res Publica 20, 145–161 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11158-014-9240-3
Standard Identifier	Handle 10385/rv042v58z
Standard Identifier	DOI 10.1007/s11158-014-9240-3
Permalink	http://hdl.handle.net/10385/rv042v58z
Rights Statement	In Copyright
Rights Holders	Springer