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Citizen Knowledge & the debate on information in welfare economics in perspective. Beyond the True-False and the Positive-Normative Entanglements

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  • Antoinette Baujard

    (Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne, CNRS, Université Lyon 2, emlyon, GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne UMR 5824, F-42023, Saint-Etienne, France)

Abstract

This paper shows how the debate on information in Welfare Economics is enriched from the perspective of Lisa Herzog’s thesis on citizen knowledge, and conversely. First, the two sources of information for welfare enhancing public decisions, individual utilities and knowledge, need articulated justification, insofar as knowledge may be used to revise individual utilities. The process of preference revisions implicitly assumes the coincidence between knowledge and truth, but there are compelling arguments why this assumption should be debated. Second, public decisions are ultimately based on an additional third component of information: collective ethical norms. They are decisive, but their legitimacy is conditional to their transparency in the debate between experts and citizens. Transparency on which knowledge is judged relevant hence constitutes a minimal condition for the design of democratic infrastructures involving public decision making.

Suggested Citation

  • Antoinette Baujard, 2024. "Citizen Knowledge & the debate on information in welfare economics in perspective. Beyond the True-False and the Positive-Normative Entanglements," Working Papers 2421, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    • Handle: RePEc:gat:wpaper:2421
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Antoinette Baujard, 2013. "Value judgments and economics expertise," Working Papers 1314, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    2. A. B. Atkinson, 2009. "Economics as a Moral Science," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 76(s1), pages 791-804, October.
    3. Sen, Amartya K, 1977. "On Weights and Measures: Informational Constraints in Social Welfare Analysis," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 45(7), pages 1539-1572, October.
    4. Ben McQuillin & Robert Sugden, 2012. "Reconciling normative and behavioural economics: the problems to be solved," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 38(4), pages 553-567, April.
    5. Roberto Fumagalli, 2016. "Decision sciences and the new case for paternalism: three welfare-related justificatory challenges," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 47(2), pages 459-480, August.
    6. Antoinette Baujard, 2021. "Values in Welfare economics," Working Papers 2112, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    7. Roberto Fumagalli, 2021. "Theories of well-being and well-being policy: a view from methodology," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 124-133, January.
    8. Fumagalli, Roberto, 2024. "Preferences versus opportunities: on the conceptual foundations of normative welfare economics," Economics and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 40(1), pages 77-101, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Knowledge; Information; Welfarism; Demarcation; True-False demarcation; positive normative demarcation; Experts; Citizens; Democratic infrastructures of knowledge; Public decision-making;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A10 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - General
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
    • D70 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - General
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General

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