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Foolishness and Identity: Amartya Sen and Adam Smith

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Author Info
Caroline Gerschlager () (Free University of Brussels, DULBEA, av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels,)
Abstract

Drawing on Amartya Sen the paper aims at a better understanding of the motivational foundation of the economic agent by analysing Adam Smith’s insights into the foolishness of human ambitions. It inquires whether there is another side to the pursuit of self-interest in Adam Smith and particularly accentuates his parable of the poor man’s son as a prototypical example. Complementing the standard views of the self and their recent extensions, the present analysis of the parable advances a description of economic identity based on selfreflexivity and conscious change of preferences.

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Paper provided by Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA) in its series Working Papers DULBEA with number 08-03.RS.

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Length: 37 pages
Date of creation: Jan 2008
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Handle: RePEc:dul:wpaper:08-03rs

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Keywords: hypertrophic self-love self-deceit illusion change of preference self-reflexivity.

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
B - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology
B21 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Microeconomics
B - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology
D - Microeconomics

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    Other versions:
  3. Thierry Lallemand & Robert Plasman & François Rycx, 2005. "Wage structure and firm productivity in Belgium," Working Papers DULBEA 05-14.RS, Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA). [Downloadable!]
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  4. George A. Akerlof & Rachel E. Kranton, 2005. "Identity and the Economics of Organizations," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(1), pages 9-32, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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    Other versions:
  6. Alan Kirman & Miriam Teschl, 2006. "Searching for identity in the capability space," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 299-325, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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    Other versions:
  8. Brenda Gannon & Robert Plasman & Ilan Tojerow & François Rycx, 2005. "Inter-industry Wage Differentials and the Gender Wage Gap : Evidence from European Countries," Working Papers DULBEA 05-01.RS, Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Pierre-Guillaume Méon & Anne-France Delannay, 2006. "The impact of European integration on the nineties’ wave of mergers and acquisitions," Working Papers DULBEA 06-12.RS, Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA). [Downloadable!]
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