Intertemporal Population Ethics: Critical-Level Utilitarian Principles

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Intertemporal Population Ethics: Critical-Level Utilitarian Principles

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Blackorby, Charles
Bossert, Walter
Donaldson, David

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Abstract

This paper considers the problem of social evaluation in a model where population size, individual lifetime utilities, lengths of life, and birth dates vary across states. We investigate principles for social evaluation in an intertemporal framework and show that history must matter to some extent if they are to be ethically acceptable. Using an axiom called independence of the utilities of the dead, we provide a characterization of Critical-Level Generalized Utilitarian rules. As a by-product of our analysis, we show that social discounting is ruled out in an intertemporal welfarist environment. A simple population-planning example is also discussed. Published in: Econometrica 63/6, 1995, pp. 1303-1320

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Paper provided by CESifo GmbH in its series CESifo Working Paper Series with number CESifo Working Paper No. 86.

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Date of creation: 1995
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Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_86

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Article
- Blackorby, Charles & Bossert, Walter & Donaldson, David, 1995. "Intertemporal Population Ethics: Critical-Level Utilitarian Principles," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 63(6), pages 1303-20, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)

Cited by:
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Charles Blackorby, & Walter Bossert & David Donaldson,, . "Rationalizable Solutions to Pure Population Problems," Discussion Papers 97/12, University of Nottingham, School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Blackorby, C. & Bossert, W. & Donaldson, D., 1997. "Rationalizable Solution to Pure Population Problems," UBC Departmental Archives 97-16, UBC Department of Economics.
- Walter Bossert & David Donaldson & Charles Blackorby, 1999. "Rationalizable solutions to pure population problems," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 395-407. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Mikhail Golosov & Larry E. Jones & Michele Tertilt, 2004. "Efficiency with endogenous population growth," Working Papers 630, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Mikhail Golosov & Larry E. Jones, 2004. "Efficiency with Endogenous Population Growth," 2004 Meeting Papers 8, Society for Economic Dynamics. [Downloadable!]
- Mikhail Golosov & Larry E. Jones & Michele Tertilt, 2004. "Efficiency with Endogenous Population Growth," NBER Working Papers 10231, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Mikhail Golosov & Larry E Jones & Michèle Tertilt, 2003. "Effciency with Endogenous Population Growth," Levine's Working Paper Archive 666156000000000310, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
- Mikhail Golosov & Larry E. Jones & Michèle Tertilt, 2007. "Efficiency with Endogenous Population Growth," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 75(4), pages 1039-1071, 07. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
BLACKORBY, Charles & BOSSERT, Walter & DONALDSON, David, 2002. "In Defense of Welfarism," Cahiers de recherche 2002-02, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Blackorby, C. & Bossert, W. & Donaldson, D., 2002. "In Defense of Welfarism," Cahiers de recherche 02-2002, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ. [Downloadable!]
BLACKORBY, Charles & BOSSERT, Walter & DONALDSON, David, 2003. "Population Ethics and the Value of Life," Cahiers de recherche 05-2003, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- BLACKORBY, Charles & BOSSERT, Walter & DONALDSON, David, 2003. "Population Ethics and the Value of Life," Cahiers de recherche 2003-07, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques. [Downloadable!]
C. Blackorby & W.Bossert & D. Donaldson, 1997. "Information Invariance in Variable-Population Social-Choice Problems," Working Papers 9701, University of Sydney, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Charles Blackorby & Walter Bossert & David Donaldson, 1997. "Information Invariance in Variable-Population Social-Choice Problems," Old UBC Departmental Papers 9707, UBC Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
- Blackorby, C. & Bossert, W. & Donaldson, D., 1996. "Information Invariance in Variable-Population Social-Choice Problems," Papers 9616, Waterloo - Department of Economics.
- Blackorby, Charles & Bossert, Walter & Donaldson, David, 1999. "Information Invariance in Variable-Population Social-Choice Problems," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 40(2), pages 403-22, May.
BLACKORBY, Charles & BOSSERT, Walter & DONALDSON, David, 2001. "The Axiomatic Approach to Population Ethics," Cahiers de recherche 2001-06, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Blackorby, C. & Bossert, W. & Donaldson, D., 2001. "The Axiomatic Approach to Population Ethics," Cahiers de recherche 2001-06, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ.
Walter Bossert, . "Opportunity Sets and the Measurement of Information," Discussion Papers 98/6, University of Nottingham, School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Grégory Ponthière, 2003. "Should we discount future generations’ welfare? A survey on the “pure” discount rate debate," CREPP Working Papers 0302, Centre de Recherche en Economie Publique et de la Population (CREPP) (Research Center on Public and Population Economics) HEC-Management School, University of Liège. [Downloadable!]
BLACKORBY, Charles & BOSSERT, Walter & DONALDSON, David, 2003. "Harsanyi’s Social Aggregation Theorem : A Multi-Profile Approach with Variable-Population Extensions," Cahiers de recherche 2003-05, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- BLACKORBY, Charles & BOSSERT, Walter & DONALDSON, David, 2003. "Harsanyi’s Social Aggregation Theorem : A Multi-Profile Approach with Variable-Population Extensions," Cahiers de recherche 03-2003, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ. [Downloadable!]
Michael Grimm & Denis Cogneau, 2005. "The Measurement of Income Distribution Dynamics when Demographics are correlated with Income," Departmental Discussion Papers 122, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Michael Grimm & Denis Cogneau, 2005. "The Measurement of Income Distribution Dynamics when Demographics are correlated with Income," Labor and Demography 0502003, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
- Denis Cogneau & Michael Grimm, 2004. "The Measurement of Income Distribution Dynamics when Demographics are correlated with Income," Working Papers DT/2004/12, DIAL (Développement, Institutions & Analyses de Long terme), revised Dec 2004. [Downloadable!]
- Denis Cogneau & Michael Grimm, 2007. "The Measurement Of Income Distribution Dynamics When Demographics Are Correlated With Income," Review of Income and Wealth, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(2), pages 246-274, 06. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Ritxar Arlegi & Miguel Angel Ballester & María del Carmen Marco & Jorge Nieto, 2000. "Variable population egalitarian ethics and the critical-level: A note," Documentos de Trabajo - Lan Gaiak Departamento de EconomÃa - Universidad PÃºblica de Navarra 0013, Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra. [Downloadable!]
BLACKORBY, Charles & BOSSERT, Walter & DONALDSON, David, 2002. "Critical-Level Population Principles and the Repugnant Conclusion," Cahiers de recherche 2002-15, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Blackorby, C. & Bossert, W. & Donaldson, D., 2002. "Critical-Level Population Principles and the Repugnant Conclusion," Cahiers de recherche 15-2002, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ. [Downloadable!]
Baland, Jean-Marie & Estevan, Fernanda, 2006. "Mortality Risks, Education and Child Labour," CEPR Discussion Papers 5972, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Estevan, Fernanda & Baland, Jean-Marie, 2007. "Mortality risks, education and child labor," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 118-137, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
BLACKORBY, Charles & BOSSERT, Walter & DONALDSON, David, 2005. "Intertemporal Social Evaluation," Cahiers de recherche 2005-06, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques. [Downloadable!]
Charles Blackorby & Walter Bossert & David Donaldson, 1996. "Quasi-orderings and population ethics," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 129-150, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Charles Blackorby, & Walter Bossert & David Donaldson,, . "Price-Independent Welfare Precriptions and Population Size," Discussion Papers 97/17, University of Nottingham, School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Blackorby, C. & Bossert, W. & Donaldson, D., 1997. "Price-Independent Welfare Prescriptions and Population Size," UBC Departmental Archives 97-22, UBC Department of Economics.
- Blackorby, Charles & Bossert, Walter & Donaldson, David, 1999. "Price-Independent Welfare Prescriptions and Population Size," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 111-119, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Charles Blackorby & Walter Bossert & David Donaldson, 2007. "Variable-population extensions of social aggregation theorems," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 567-589, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Samuel Fankhauser & Richard Tol & DAVID Pearce, 1997. "The Aggregation of Climate Change Damages: a Welfare Theoretic Approach," Environmental & Resource Economics, European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 10(3), pages 249-266, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)

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