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Toward a naturalistic foundation of the social contract

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Author Info
Christian Cordes ()
Christian Schubert ()

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Abstract

This paper delivers a step toward a naturalistic foundation of the social contract. While mainstream social contract theory is based on an original position model that is defined in an aprioristic way, we endogenize its key elements, i.e., develop them out of the individuals’ moral common sense. Therefore, the biological and social bases of moral intuitions are explored. In this context, a key adaptation during evolution was the one that enabled humans to understand conspecifics as intentional agents. Since these behavioral aspects are considered to be an exaptation, they are not amenable to direct genetic explanations or to rationality-based approaches. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2007

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Springer in its journal Constitutional Political Economy.

Volume (Year): 18 (2007)
Issue (Month): 1 (March)
Pages: 35-62
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Handle: RePEc:kap:copoec:v:18:y:2007:i:1:p:35-62

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Web page: http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=102866

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Related research
Keywords: Social contract theory; Fairness; Intentionality; Empathy; Human evolution; A13; B52; D63; D71; P16;

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  1. John C. Harsanyi, 1953. "Cardinal Utility in Welfare Economics and in the Theory of Risk-taking," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 61, pages 434. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Rubin, Paul H., 1982. "Evolved ethics and efficient ethics," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 3(2-3), pages 161-174. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Bruno Frey & Matthias Benz & Alois Stutzer, 2004. "Introducing Procedural Utility: Not Only What, but Also How Matters," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 160(3), pages 377-, September.
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  4. C. Cordes, 2004. "The Human Adaptation for Culture and its Behavioral Implications," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2003-10, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group.
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  5. Ferraro, Paul J. & Rondeau, Daniel & Poe, Gregory L., 2003. "Detecting other-regarding behavior with virtual players," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 99-109, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Stefan Voigt, 1999. "Implicit Consitutional Change-Changing the Meaning of the Constitution Without Changing the Text of the Document," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 197-224, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Viktor J. Vanberg, 2004. "The Status Quo in Contractarian-Constitutionalist Perspective," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 153-170, 06. [Downloadable!]
  8. Rabin, Matthew, 1993. "Incorporating Fairness into Game Theory and Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(5), pages 1281-1302, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Selten, Reinhard, 1998. "Features of experimentally observed bounded rationality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(3-5), pages 413-436, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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