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Impartiality and Priority. Part 1: The Veil of Ignorance

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Author Info
Juan Moreno-Ternero
John E. Roemer () (Dept. of Political Science, Yale University)

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Abstract

The veil of ignorance has been used often as a tool for recommending what justice requires with respect to the distribution of wealth. We complete Harsanyi’s model of the veil of ignorance by appending information permitting interpersonal comparability of welfare. We show that the veil-of-ignorance conception of John Harsanyi, so completed, and Ronald Dworkin’s, when modeled formally, recommend wealth allocations in conflict with the prominently espoused view that priority should be given to the worse off with respect to wealth allocation.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Cowles Foundation, Yale University in its series Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers with number 1477A.

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Length: 29 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2004
Date of revision: May 2005
Publication status: Published in Econometrica (2006), 27(5): 311-325
Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:1477a

Note: CFP 1185.
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Related research
Keywords: Impartiality; Priority; Veil of ignorance;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  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. Weymark, J.A., 1990. "A Reconsideration Of The Harsanyi-Sen Debate On Utilitarianism," UBC Departmental Archives 90-03, UBC Department of Economics.
  3. Amrita Dhillon & Jean-Francois Mertens, 1999. "Relative Utilitarianism," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 67(3), pages 471-498, May.
    Other versions:
  4. Juan Moreno-Ternero & John E. Roemer, 2004. "Impartiality and Priority. Part 2: A Characterization with Solidarity," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1477B, Cowles Foundation, Yale University, revised May 2005. [Downloadable!]
  5. John E. Roemer, 2004. "Eclectic Distributional Ethics," Yale School of Management Working Papers ysm348, Yale School of Management. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Edi Karni, 2003. "Impartiality and interpersonal comparisons of variations in well-being," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 95-111, 08. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. John E. Roemer, 2001. "Egalitarianism against the Veil of Ignorance," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1328, Cowles Foundation, Yale University. [Downloadable!]
  8. Arrow, Kenneth J, 1977. "Extended Sympathy and the Possibility of Social Choice," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(1), pages 219-25, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Edi Karni, 1998. "Impartiality: Definition and Representation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 66(6), pages 1405-1416, November.
  10. 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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  11. Uzi Segal, 2000. "Let's Agree That All Dictatorships Are Equally Bad," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(3), pages 569-589, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Juan Moreno-Ternero & John E. Roemer, 2004. "Impartiality and Priority. Part 2: A Characterization with Solidarity," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1477B, Cowles Foundation, Yale University, revised May 2005. [Downloadable!]
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