partialité

Partialité is a term used to describe a tendency to favor a person, group, idea, or outcome over others, at the expense of objectivity. As a concept, it is the opposite of impartialité (impartiality). The word is used across disciplines—philosophy, law, journalism, and social sciences—to examine how judgments, decisions, or representations may be distorted by allegiance, affect, or interest.

In law and justice, partialité refers to the risk that a judge, arbitrator, or juror harbors a personal stake that could influence rulings. Procedures such as recusal and the appointment of independent bodies are designed to preserve fairness. In media and research, partialité can appear as selection bias, framing, or source bias, undermining credibility, while in everyday life it can show as favoritism toward family members or friends, potentially leading to unequal treatment.

Causes and forms include cognitive biases (such as confirmation bias and in-group bias), emotional attachments, social norms, and institutional incentives. Partialité can be explicit, where a person openly favors one side, or implicit, where bias operates unconsciously. While some moral theories acknowledge partial duties within intimate relationships, public and professional contexts typically require impartiality to ensure just outcomes.

Mitigation strategies focus on awareness, transparency, and structural safeguards: codes of ethics, explicit disclosure of conflicts of interest, recusal when appropriate, blind or double-blind procedures, peer review, and diverse perspectives. Effective handling of partialité aims to enhance fairness, reliability, and trust in decision-making and representation.