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On Kolm's Use of Epistemic Counterfactuals in Social Choice Theory

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Author Info
John A. Weymark () (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University)

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Abstract

Serge Kolm's "epistemic counterfactual principle" says that a social choice only needs to be made from the actual feasible set of alternatives given the actual preference profile, but it must be justified by the choices that would have been made in appropriate counterfactual choice situations. Kolm's principle does not identify the relevant counterfactuals. In this article, it is argued that the appropriate counterfactuals to justify an impartial social choice are all of the choice situations that a moral agent behind a veil of ignorance might think is the actual choice situation outside the veil.

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File URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/wparchive/workpaper/vu05-w18R.pdf
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Paper provided by Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University in its series Working Papers with number 0518.

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Date of creation: Jun 2005
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Handle: RePEc:van:wpaper:0518

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Related research
Keywords: Arrovian social choice counterfactual choice veil of ignorance impartial observer universal prescriptivism

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
B40 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - General
D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations

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  1. Samuelson, Paul A, 1977. "Reaffirming the Existence of "Reasonable" Bergson-Samuelson Social Welfare Functions," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 44(173), pages 81-88, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. LE BRETON, Michel & WEYMARK, John, 2002. "Arrovian Social Choice Theory on Economic Domains," IDEI Working Papers 143, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse, revised Sep 2003. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. 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)
  4. Weymark, J.A., 1990. "A Reconsideration Of The Harsanyi-Sen Debate On Utilitarianism," UBC Departmental Archives 90-03, UBC Department of Economics.
  5. Kemp, Murray C & Ng, Yew-Kwang, 1976. "On the Existence of Social Welfare Functions, Social Orderings and Social Decision Functions," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 43(169), pages 59-66, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Mongin, P & d'Aspremont, C, 1996. "Utility Theory and Ethics," Papers 9632, Paris X - Nanterre, U.F.R. de Sc. Ec. Gest. Maths Infor..
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  7. Mirrlees, James A, 1971. "An Exploration in the Theory of Optimum Income Taxation," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 38(114), pages 175-208, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1982. "Self-selection and Pareto efficient taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 213-240, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. I. M. D. Little, 1952. "Social Choice and Individual Values," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 60, pages 422. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Parks, Robert P, 1976. "An Impossibility Theorem for Fixed Preferences: A Dictatorial Bergson-Samuelson Welfare Function," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(3), pages 447-50, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Donaldson, David & Weymark, John A., 1988. "Social choice in economic environments," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 291-308, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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