Outsourcing and the Contracting of Responsibility*

Outsourcing is becoming an increasingly prevalent phenomenon not only in business life, but also in the affairs of governments and in the lives of individuals and families. But what exactly is outsourcing and what are its consequences? I will argue that outsourcing offers entities a set of freedoms (i.e., possibilities of action and non‐action) that are not considered possible in this practice’s absence. However, many of these freedoms are precarious in that they involve a multitude of risks and dangers both for those outsourcing their affairs and for those who take them on. Although there are multiple freedoms of this sort, one is focused upon here; how outsourcing allows entities to contract, in the sense of limiting, their responsibilities. Three specific ways in which outsourcing allows entities to do this are detailed. Recognizing this precarious aspect of the freedoms associated with outsourcing is important because it highlights the social risks involved in this practice.