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What matters and how it matters: a choice-theoretic representation of moral theories

Author

Listed:
  • Franz Dietrich

    (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 nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Christian List

    (LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science)

Abstract

This essay presents a new "reason-based" approach to the formal representation of moral theories, drawing on recent decision-theoretic work. It shows that any moral theory within a very large class can be represented in terms of two parameters: (i) a specification of which properties of the objects of moral choice matter in any given context, and (ii) a specification of how these properties matter. Reason-based representations provide a very general taxonomy of moral theories, as differences among theories can be attributed to differences in their two key parameters. We can thus formalize several distinctions, such as between consequentialist and nonconsequentialist theories, between universalist and relativist theories, between agent-neutral and agent-relative theories, between monistic and pluralistic theories, between atomistic and holistic theories, and between theories with a teleological structure and those without. Reason-based representations also shed light on an important but underappreciated phenomenon: the "underdetermination of moral theory by deontic content."

Suggested Citation

  • Franz Dietrich & Christian List, 2017. "What matters and how it matters: a choice-theoretic representation of moral theories," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-01744079, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:halshs-01744079
    DOI: 10.1215/00318108-4173412
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    Cited by:

    1. Hein Duijf & Frederik Putte, 2022. "The problem of no hands: responsibility voids in collective decisions," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 58(4), pages 753-790, May.
    2. Brian Ball & Alexandros Koliousis & Amil Mohanan & Mike Peacey, 2024. "Computational philosophy: reflections on the PolyGraphs project," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.

    More about this item

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    JEL classification:

    • B0 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - General
    • B4 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology
    • B40 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - General
    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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