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To Be or not To Be Involved:A Questionnaire-Experimental View on Harsanyi’sUtilitarian Ethics

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Author Info
Yoram Amiel
Frank A Cowell
Wulf Gaertner

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Abstract

According to standard theory founded on Harsanyi (1953, 1955) a social welfarefunction can be appropriately based on the individual's approach to choice underuncertainty. We investigate whether people really do rank distributions according tothe same principles irrespective of whether the comparison involves money payoffs ina risky situation or the distribution of income among persons. We use a questionnaireexperiment to focus on the two different interpretations of the Harsanyi approach.There are important, systematic differences that transcend the cultural background ofrespondents.

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Paper provided by Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE in its series STICERD - Distributional Analysis Research Programme Papers with number 85.

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Date of creation: Jun 2006
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Handle: RePEc:cep:stidar:85

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Related research
Keywords: Impartial observer theorem; utilitarianism; welfare.;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: General - - - Estimation
D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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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. Yoram Amiel & Frank A Cowell & Wulf Gaertner, 2007. "Distributional Orderings: An Approach with Seven Flavours," STICERD - Distributional Analysis Research Programme Papers 93, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE. [Downloadable!]
  3. Harsanyi, John C, 1978. "Bayesian Decision Theory and Utilitarian Ethics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 68(2), pages 223-28, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Yoram Amiel & Frank A Cowell & Wulf Gaertner, 2006. "To Be or not To Be Involved:A Questionnaire-Experimental View on Harsanyi’sUtilitarian Ethics," STICERD - Distributional Analysis Research Programme Papers 85, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE. [Downloadable!]
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  5. John C. Harsanyi, 1955. "Cardinal Welfare, Individualistic Ethics, and Interpersonal Comparisons of Utility," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 63, pages 309. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Yoram Amiel & Frank A Cowell, 2001. "Attitudes towards Risk and Inequality: A Questionnaire-Experimental Approach," STICERD - Distributional Analysis Research Programme Papers 56, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE. [Downloadable!]
  7. Stefan Traub & Christian Seidl & Ulrich Schmidt & M. Vittoria Levati, . "Friedman, Harsanyi, Rawls, Boulding - Or Somebody Else? An Experimental Investigation of Distributive Justice," Papers on Strategic Interaction 2003-19, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Strategic Interaction Group. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Wulf Gaertner & Lars Schwettmann, 2007. "Equity, Responsibility and the Cultural Dimension," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 74(296), pages 627-649, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Mongin, P., 1999. "The Impartial Observer Theorem of Social Ethics," Papers 99-33, Paris X - Nanterre, U.F.R. de Sc. Ec. Gest. Maths Infor..
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  1. Yoram Amiel & Frank Cowell & Wulf Gaertner, 2009. "To be or not to be involved: a questionnaire-experimental view on Harsanyi’s utilitarian ethics," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 299-316, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Yoram Amiel & Frank A Cowell & Wulf Gaertner, 2007. "Distributional Orderings: An Approach with Seven Flavours," STICERD - Distributional Analysis Research Programme Papers 93, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE. [Downloadable!]
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