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Interpersonal Comparisons of the Extended Sympathy Type and the Possibility of Social Choice

In: Social Choice Re-Examined

Author

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  • Kotaro Suzumura

    (Hitotsubashi University)

Abstract

As is well-known, Arrow’s celebrated general possibility theorem is based on the view that ‘interpersonal comparison of utilities has no meaning and, in fact, that there is no meaning relevant to welfare comparisons in the measurability of individual utility’ (Arrow, 1963, p. 9). It deserves emphasis that the reason underlying his insistence on ordinal as well as interpersonally non-comparable utilities is ‘the application of Leibniz’s principle of the identity of indiscernibles’, according to which ‘only observed difference can be used as a basis for explanation’ (Arrow, 1963, p. 109). It was precisely because interpersonal comparison of utilities was considered not to be based on any observable choice behaviour that the Arrow social welfare function was to depend only on interpersonally non-comparable individual preference orderings over the set of alternative social states.

Suggested Citation

  • Kotaro Suzumura, 1996. "Interpersonal Comparisons of the Extended Sympathy Type and the Possibility of Social Choice," International Economic Association Series, in: Kenneth J. Arrow & Amartya Sen & Kotaro Suzumura (ed.), Social Choice Re-Examined, chapter 15, pages 202-229, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:intecp:978-1-349-25214-5_15
    DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-25214-5_15
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    Cited by:

    1. Samuel Mann & Nigel O’Leary & David Blackaby, 2022. "Sexual orientation, political trust, and same-sex relationship recognition policies: evidence from Europe," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 192(3), pages 331-355, September.
    2. Tadenuma, Koichi, 2002. "Efficiency First or Equity First? Two Principles and Rationality of Social Choice," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 104(2), pages 462-472, June.
    3. Tadenuma, Koichi & 蓼沼, 宏一, 2007. "Choice-Consistent Resolutions of the Efficiency-Equity Trade-Off," Discussion Papers 2007-09, Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University.

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