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Eclectic distributional ethics

Author

Listed:
  • John E. Roemer

    (Yale University, USA)

Abstract

Utilitarians, maximinners, prioritarians, and sufficientarians each provide examples of situations demonstrating, often apparently compellingly, that a sensible ethical observer must adopt their view and reject the others. I argue, to the contrary, that an attractive ethic is eclectic or pluralistic, in the sense of coinciding with these apparently different views in different regions of the space of social states. I reject the view that an appealing ethic can be universally maximin, prioritarian, or utilitarian.

Suggested Citation

  • John E. Roemer, 2004. "Eclectic distributional ethics," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 3(3), pages 267-281, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pophec:v:3:y:2004:i:3:p:267-281
    DOI: 10.1177/1470594X04046238
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrés Cendales & Jhon James Mora, 2014. "Precarious Democracies, Political Negotiation and Selective Predation," Documentos de Trabajo 12422, Universidad Católica de Colombia.
    2. Alvarez-Cuadrado, Francisco & Van Long, Ngo, 2009. "A mixed Bentham-Rawls criterion for intergenerational equity: Theory and implications," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 154-168, September.
    3. Humberto, Mateus, 2023. "How to translate justice theory into urban transport metrics? Synchronic assessment of Latin American cities based on equality, priority and sufficiency," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Graafland, J.J., 2010. "Why Status Effects Need not Justify Egalitarian Income Policy," Discussion Paper 2010-73, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    5. Marcus Pivato, 2020. "Rank-additive population ethics," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 69(4), pages 861-918, June.
    6. Andrés Cendales & Jhon James Mora, 2014. "Sobornos o Representación Democrática: ¿Qué promueven los concejos municipales en una democracia precaria en el nivel local?," Documentos de Trabajo 12412, Universidad Católica de Colombia.
    7. Michele Lombardi & Kaname Miyagishima & Roberto Veneziani, 2016. "Liberal Egalitarianism and the Harm Principle," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(597), pages 2173-2196, November.
    8. Steven N. Durlauf, 2006. "Assessing Racial Profiling," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(515), pages 402-426, November.
    9. Juan D. Moreno-Ternero & Lars Peter Østerdal, 2023. "Entitlements to continued life and the evaluation of population health," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 27(3), pages 561-579, September.
    10. Moreno-Terneroy , Juan D & Østerdal, Lars Peter, 2015. "The implications of equal value of life and prioritarianism for the evaluation of population health," DaCHE discussion papers 2015:1, University of Southern Denmark, Dache - Danish Centre for Health Economics.
    11. Juan Moreno-Ternero & John E. Roemer, 2004. "Impartiality and Priority. Part 1: The Veil of Ignorance," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1477A, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised May 2005.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    distributive justice; utilitarianism; maximin; sufficiency; priority;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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