Princeton University Press

Why Privacy is ImportantAuthor(s): James RachelsSource:

Philosophy and Public Affairs,

Vol. 4, No. 4 (Summer, 1975), pp. 323-333Published by: Formerly published by Princeton University PressStable URL:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2265077

Accessed: 22/09/2008 01:25

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JAMESRACHELS

WhyPrivacyIsImportant

AccordingtoThomasScanlon,thefirstelementof atheoryofprivacyshould be"acharacterization ofthespecialinterest wehave inbeingabletobe free fromcertainkinds ofintrusions."SinceIagree that istherightplacetobegin, Ishallbeginthere.ThenIshallcommentbrieflyonJudithJarvisThomson'sproposals.IWhy,exactly,isprivacyimportanttous?Thereisnoonesimpleanswer tothisquestion,sincepeoplehaveanumberofintereststhatmay beharmedbyinvasionsoftheirprivacy.(a)Privacyissometimesnecessarytoprotectpeople'sinterests incompetitivesituations. Forexample,itobviouslywouldbea disad-vantagetoBobbyFischerifhecould notanalyzetheadjourned po-sition inachessgameinprivate,withouthisopponentlearninghisresults.(b)In othercases someonemaywant tokeepsomeaspectof hislife orbehaviorprivatesimplybecause itwouldbeembarrassingforotherpeopleto know about it. Thereisasplendidexampleofthis inJohn Barth's novelEndofthe Road.Thenarratorof thestory,JakeHomer,is withJoeMorgan'swife,Rennie,andtheyareapproachingtheMorganhouse whereJoeis athome alone:"Want toeavesdrop?"IwhisperedimpulsivelytoRennie."Comeon, it'sgreat!Seetheanimalsintheirnaturalhabitat."Rennielooked shocked."Whatfor?"

324

Philosophy&PublicAffairs"Youmeanyounever spyonpeoplewhenthey'realone?It's won-derfullComeon, be asneak! It'sthemostunfairthingyoucandoto aperson.""Youdisgustme, Jake!"Renniehissed."He'sjustreading.Youdon'tknow Joeatall,do you?""Whatdoesthatmean?""Realpeoplearen'tany differentwhenthey'realone.No masks.Whatyou seeof themisauthentic."

....Quitereluctantly,shecameoverto thewindowandpeeped

in besideme.It is indeedthe grossestofinjusticestoobserveapersonwhobelieveshimselfto bealone.JoeMorgan,backfrom his BoyScoutmeeting,had evidentlyntended todosomereading,for therewerebooks lyingopenon the writingtableand onthefloorbesidethebookcase.ButJoewasn't reading.He was standingin theexactcenterof thebareroom,fullydressed,smartlyexecutingmilitarycommands.Aboutface!Right

dress!

'Ten-shun!ParaderestlHesalutedbriskly,his cheeks blownoutand his tongueextended,andthenproceededto cavortabout the room-spinning,pirouetting,bowing,leaping,kicking.I watched entrancedbyhis performance,forI cannotsaythatin my strangestmoments(andabachelorhasstrangeones)I havesurpassedhim. Rennietrembledfromheadtofoot.1Thescene continueseven more embarrassingly.(c)Thereare severalreasonswhymedicalrecordsshould bekeptprivate,havingto dowiththeconsequencestoindividualsoffactsabout thembecoming publicknowledge."Theaverage patientdoesn'trealizethe importanceof theconfidentialityof medicalrecords.Pass-ingout informationonvenereal diseasecan wreckamarriage.Re-vealinga patternofalcoholismordrugabusecan resultin a man'slosinghisjobor makeitimpossibleforhim to obtaininsurance

protection."2