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A not so myopic axiomatization of discounting

Author

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  • Jean-Pierre Drugeon

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Thai Ha Huy

    (EPEE - Centre d'Etudes des Politiques Economiques - UEVE - Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne - Université Paris-Saclay)

Abstract

This article builds an axiomatization of inter-temporal trade-offs that takes an explicit account of the distant future. The focus is on separable representations and the approach is completed following a decision-theory index based approach that is applied to utility streams understood as the well-being of future generations. The introduction of some new axioms is herein shown to lead to the emergence of two distinct orders that respectively relate to the distant future and close future components of some utility stream. This enlightens the limits of the commonly used fat tail intensity requisites for the evaluation of utility streams. These are replaced by an axiomatic approach to myopia degrees.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Pierre Drugeon & Thai Ha Huy, 2022. "A not so myopic axiomatization of discounting," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-03238955, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:pseptp:halshs-03238955
    DOI: 10.1007/s00199-020-01336-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Balbus, Łukasz & Reffett, Kevin & Woźny, Łukasz, 2022. "Time-consistent equilibria in dynamic models with recursive payoffs and behavioral discounting," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    2. Mononen, Lasse, 2024. "Dynamically Consistent Intergenerational Welfare," Center for Mathematical Economics Working Papers 687, Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University.
    3. Bach Dong Xuan & Philippe Bich & Bertrand Wigniolle, 2022. "On multiple discount rates and present bias," Working Papers halshs-03884664, HAL.
    4. Ha-Huy, Thai & Nguyen, Thi Tuyet Mai, 2022. "Saving and dissaving under Ramsey–Rawls criterion," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Jean-Pierre Drugeon & Thai Ha-Huy & Thi Do Hanh Nguyen, 2019. "On maximin dynamic programming and the rate of discount," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 67(3), pages 703-729, April.
    6. Mononen, Lasse, 2024. "Dynamically Consistent Intertemporal Dual-Self Expected Utility," Center for Mathematical Economics Working Papers 686, Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University.
    7. Drugeon, Jean-Pierre & Ha-Huy, Thai, 2021. "On Multiple Discount Rates with Recursive Time-Dependent Orders," MPRA Paper 111308, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Axiomatization; Myopia; Temporal Order Decompositions; Distant future sensitivities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General

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