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Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon’s‘Essays on Moral Arithmetic’

Author

Listed:
  • Tibor Neugebauer

    (Luxembourg School of Finance, University of Luxembourg)

  • John Hey

    (University of York)

  • Carmen Pasca

    (LUISS)

Abstract

We offer a translation into English of the original French version published in 1777 of Buffon’s Essai d’Arithmetique Morale along with some introductory remarks. In this classic work, Buffon discusses degrees of certainty, probability, the moral value of money, the different evaluations of gains and of losses; moreover, he proposes repeated experiments to determine the moral value of a game. Our hope is that this remarkable work, which anticipates and relates to many aspects discussed in more recent literature, reaches a broader audience than the French original reaches today. Our belief is that we are first to translate this classic work completely.

Suggested Citation

  • Tibor Neugebauer & John Hey & Carmen Pasca, 2010. "Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon’s‘Essays on Moral Arithmetic’," LSF Research Working Paper Series 10-06, Luxembourg School of Finance, University of Luxembourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:crf:wpaper:10-06
    as

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    File URL: http://www.lsf.lu/eng/content/download/1792/8933/file/10-06.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Reinhard Selten & Abdolkarim Sadrieh & Klaus Abbink, 1999. "Money Does Not Induce Risk Neutral Behavior, but Binary Lotteries Do even Worse," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 213-252, June.
    2. Neugebauer, Tibor & Selten, Reinhard, 2006. "Individual behavior of first-price auctions: The importance of information feedback in computerized experimental markets," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 183-204, January.
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    4. Reinhard Selten & Thorsten Chmura, 2008. "Stationary Concepts for Experimental 2x2-Games," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(3), pages 938-966, June.
    5. Sauermann Heinz, 1967. "Experimentelle Wirtschaftsforschung," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 180(1), pages 299-312, February.
    6. Reinhard Selten, 1998. "Axiomatic Characterization of the Quadratic Scoring Rule," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 1(1), pages 43-61, June.
    7. Tibor Neugebauer, 2010. "Moral Impossibility in the Petersburg Paradox : A Literature Survey and Experimental Evidence," LSF Research Working Paper Series 10-14, Luxembourg School of Finance, University of Luxembourg.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tibor Neugebauer, 2010. "Moral Impossibility in the Petersburg Paradox : A Literature Survey and Experimental Evidence," LSF Research Working Paper Series 10-14, Luxembourg School of Finance, University of Luxembourg.
    2. Robert William, Vivian, 2013. "Ending the myth of the St Petersburg paradox," MPRA Paper 50515, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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