This essay reviews the literature on loneliness from a normative, ethical perspective. Loneliness is viewed as a bad, or disvalued, condition, and the fact that it is so common nowadays constitutes a wrong on an individual, societal, and governmental level. Loneliness, however, is not a monolithic term; it has many different meanings and causal mechanisms. This essay critically reviews the ethics of loneliness, or the literature on loneliness as a normative, social justice/social rights issue.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Zohar Lederman (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: