The Value of Privacy: Why It Matters in Today's Society

In “Why Privacy is Important,” the author James Rachels explores the rationale behind the significance of privacy. So this is why is privacy important essay where this work is considered. Rachels realized a connection between privacy and social relationships. That is, revealing personal information is determined by the level of familiarity in a relationship. Therefore, the author’s main claim is that privacy is crucial because it allows the individual to reveal specific personal information that is necessary to maintain relationships between several groups and protect one's own interests. Rachels further emphasizes the connection between relationships and privacy through his subclaims, reasons, evidences, warrants, and acknowledge and responses within his article.

Rachels builds his main claim by dividing his article into three sections. At the beginning of the first section, Rachels observed that people consider privacy to be important because of the idea that an absence of privacy causes unfortunate consequences. He lists several examples that show the detrimental outcome of an invasion of privacy, such as embarrassing situations, ruining marriages, or losing jobs (Rachels 323-324). However, these examples do not exemplify a complete understanding of privacy. This leads to Rachels subclaim that the examples stated above is not the sole reason behind the importance of privacy.

Rachels states two reasons for his subclaim: 

• the examples involve someone concealing their information to avoid mistreatment; 
• the examples does not include interpersonal relationships. 

The purpose is to reveal that there are other situations to consider in regards to the value of privacy. Here, Rachels is gradually building onto his main claim by expanding the true meaning of why privacy is important.

In the second section, Rachels presents his main claim that privacy is important because certain information helps sustain diverse social relationships. His subclaim is that maintaining different relationships means displaying different behaviors. Rachels’s subclaim is forming a connection between behavior patterns and relationships. Rachels provides situational evidence where a man behaves differently such as being playful with his children, polite with his mother-in-law, and professional with his employees. Here, various behaviors are influenced by different interactions. As a result, Rachels implies that behavioral patterns correlate to the value of privacy.

The reason for his subclaim is that various patterns of behavior define the types of relationships. Evidence to support his reason is the characterization of friendship. Friends are obligated to be loyal; thus, people confide in their friends because they are expected to protect their information. Rachels included this evidence in his article because the description of friendship, such as loyalty and trust is socially accepted and indisputable. Furthermore, his reason and evidence indicate that behaviors affect the preservation of many social relationships; linking to his main claim about maintaining relationships.

Rachels brings in another perspective that differences in behaviors appear inauthentic. He acknowledges that behaving in several ways means wearing several “masks”. As a result, people who act a certain way in front of others create a fake persona or an ingenuine facade. However, Rachels responds by arguing that people behave differently to display appropriate aspects of their personality to maintain the relationship. He addresses the acknowledge and response to strengthen his argument about the effects of behavior patterns on relationships.

Another subclaim is that people are expected to behave and reveal information that is appropriate to the relationship. Here, Rachels is recognizing a chain that behaviors and relationships influences disclosing information. The reason for his subclaim is to prevent overstepping boundaries. Rachels provides contemporary evidence where doctors, employers, and bankers are entitled to know the individual's information (Rachels 329). However, a person may not give this type of information to a stranger. Through his subclaim, reasons, and evidence, Rachels strengthens his main claim that appropriate behaviors and information are revealed in different relationships in order to preserve a role.

Rachels further indicates another perspective about the expectations of displaying appropriate behaviors in a relationship. He does not imply that everyone has the same behaviors and relationships. For example, “some parents” could either be friendly or strict with their children and “some doctors” could act approachable or professional with their patients. Rachels include qualifiers such as “some” to reduce the generalization of his argument about social relationships.

Rachels leads to the third section of his article. His subclaim is that people have the ability to control their personal information. The reason for his subclaim is to prevent a violation of the right to privacy. To support his reason, he illustrates a piece of hypothetical evidence where a person overhears personal information and reveals them to other strangers. According to Rachels, this situation is a violation of the right to privacy. Through this evidence, Rachels indicates that control is necessary to protect the right to privacy. That is, people have the ability to oppose any situation that interferes with relationships or one’s interests. Therefore, Rachels solidifies his main claim that controlling one’s information is important to privacy.

The author’s warrant in his article is that privacy is linked to personal freedom. Rachels assumes that losing control over personal information is, to some degree, losing control of one’s relation to society. This is the “reason why privacy is an aspect of liberty”. Different behaviors in a relationship display certain aspects of a person to serve a role. Therefore, Rachels concludes that the freedom of controlling who has access to one’s personal information plays a significant part in their place in society.

Rachels’s purpose throughout the article is to gradually build his main claim by sectioning in reasoning. He includes subclaim such as behaviors and controlling information to elaborate on the importance of privacy; provides reasons to identify the rationale behind the need for privacy; utilizes evidence to justify his view on the value of privacy. Rachels further covers acknowledge and response as well as qualifiers to strengthen the main idea on privacy. In addition, he warrants personal liberty to demonstrate its fundamental role in the right to privacy. These elements reinforce his main claim about the importance of privacy in several situations as well as the ability to control personal information and behaviors that help maintain various relationships.