Impartiality

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. In philosophy, impartiality is usually treated as a formal property of choices: a choice is impartial when a certain kind of consideration, such as which particular people it benefits or harms, has no influence on it. Many moral theories, including utilitarianism, Kantian ethics and contractualism, treat an impartial point of view as the standpoint from which moral questions should be judged. Critics argue that strict impartiality leaves no room for the special concern people show for their family, friends and communities; this disagreement is known as the partialist–impartialist debate. Impartiality is also a legal standard for courts and public administration.