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What are the ethics of welfare economics? And, are welfare economists utilitarians?

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  • Edward R. Morey

    (University of Colorado)

Abstract

Four questions: (1) What is welfare economics? (2) Is it an ethical system? (3) How do welfare economists differ from one another? And (4), how do they differ from other economic ethicists? Then utilitarianism is discussed. I was taught, and have inferred to others, that welfare economists are utilitarians. They are not. Welfare economics is an atypical form of welfare consequentialism: consequentialist in that whether an act or policy is right or wrong is a function of only its consequences—the adjective “welfare” because the only consequences that matter are the welfare (well-faring) consequences. Most welfare consequentialists are neither welfare economists nor utilitarians. And, most moral philosophers are not welfare consequentialists—neither are most normal folk.

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  • Edward R. Morey, 2018. "What are the ethics of welfare economics? And, are welfare economists utilitarians?," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 65(2), pages 201-230, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:inrvec:v:65:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s12232-018-0294-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s12232-018-0294-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Noel Semple, 2021. "Good Enough for Government Work? Life-Evaluation and Public Policy," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1119-1140, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Welfare economics; Utilitarianism (Benthamite; act; rule; and preference); Welfare consequentialism (WC); Well-being (WB); Emotional WB; Life-satisfaction WB; Preferences; Interests; Impartiality; Fairness; Justice; Loyalty; Holiness; Jeremy Bentham; John Harsanyi; Peter Singer;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B13 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Neoclassical through 1925 (Austrian, Marshallian, Walrasian, Wicksellian)
    • B20 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - General
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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