Monuments to Injustice and the Ethics of Dark Tourism: A Research Note

This research note aims to motivate philosophical examination of the ethical tensions surrounding ‘dark tourism’ and monuments to injustice. While such monuments function to acknowledge past wrongs, educate the public, and serve reparative functions, their presentation as tourist destinations can undermine these purposes. I identify four common concerns: voyeurism, violations of privacy and re‐traumatization, the commercialization of suffering, and inappropriate or exploitative visitor conduct. These challenges of dark tourism complicate the standard justifications for commemorating injustices in the form of physical memorials. I suggest that philosophical attention to dark tourism will both refine our understanding of monumental ethics and provide guidelines for the ethical design of monuments.