Concept
Impartiality
Overview
Impartiality (also called evenhandedness or fair-mindedness) is a principle of justice holding that decisions should be based on objective criteria, rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the benefit to one person over another for improper reasons.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
In the original texts
Passages from public-domain books where Impartiality is discussed.
Fifthly, it is, by universal admission, inconsistent with justice to be _partial_; to show favour or preference to one person over another, in matters to which favour and preference do not properly apply. Impartiality, however, does not seem to be regarded as a duty in itself, but rather as instrumental to some other duty; for it is admitted that favour and preference are not always censurable, and indeed the cases…
John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism
names the idea; states what it is
The holding of a thing to be true is a phenomenon in our understanding which may rest on objective grounds, but requires, also, subjective causes in the mind of the person judging. If a judgement is valid for every rational being, then its ground is objectively sufficient, and it is termed a conviction.
Immanuel Kant, The Critique of Pure Reason
states what it is
What is actually done is rather to make the contrary presupposition. Histories with such an object as religion or philosophy are understood to have only subjective aims for their theme, i.e. only opinions and mere ideas, not an essential and realised object like the truth.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Hegel's Philosophy of Mind
states what it is; opens on it; names the idea
Happily, in that intervention of popular suffrage which is essential to freedom they are not the qualities required. Even the quality of justice, though necessary to all human beings, and therefore to all electors, is not the inducement which decides any popular election. Justice and impartiality are as little wanted for electing a member of Parliament as they can be in any transaction of men. The electors have not…
John Stuart Mill, Considerations on Representative Government
states what it is; names the idea
There is without question a properly rational or intellectual element in the judgment of impartiality, namely, analysis of the situation and comparison of the units. But what we shall set up as our units--whether we shall treat the gentile or the barbarian or negro as a person, as end and not merely means, or not, depends on something quite other than reason.
John Dewey, Creative Intelligence
opens on it; names the idea
Philosophers who discussed Impartiality
Related ideas
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Ethical egoism.