Value Judgements - Ethical implications of Rational Choice Theory

9 important questions on Value Judgements - Ethical implications of Rational Choice Theory

What is the ethical principle of "minimal benevolence"? (Hausman and McPherson)

People should be able to make themselves better by satisfying their preferences. (maximizing utilty)
= normative image underlying the standard rational choice theory

vb: Pareto efficient, or cost benefit analysis, is still moral judgements

What is the Pareto Optimality principle?

Policy changes that are better off for at least one person without harming another person, measured by the person's satisfaction with the preference

What is the cost benefit analysis?

Maximize net profit in people who are better off with individuals

One can recommend a policy that some people are better off, and some people are worse off but the profits of the former are greater than the losses of the latter
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What is cardinal utility?

The idea that we can somehow compare utiltiy among people.
- Poor man gets money from a rich man

But we cannot measure this

What was Lionel Robbin's opinion on cardinal utility?

He rejected this, the law of diminishing marginal utilty (which is redistribution of income) and interpersonal utility comparisons as a basis for making policy recommendations

= influenced by LP (which wanted to be objective)

= cost benefit analysis

How do economic explanations incorporate value judgements?

Economists often have to explain behaviour that is believed to be motivated by or influenced by ethical values people have/ moral norms they observe
- Economists should align their reports of economic behaviour with motives that work with ethical life (establishing values and norms that people perceive as part of their economic statements)

How is this different from rational choice theory?

Rational choice theory uses a set of formal conditions that apply to preferences if their choices are to be considered rational
- It says nothing about the kind of things that individuals prefer or their motivation to prefer them

What is an altruistic preference?

A preference that values another who is better off than serving one's own personal interests

What are moral norms?

Widespread rules or conventions about what is wrong or right
- relative freedom in the fact that they are not bound to certain specific ethical values and that they are even often endorsed by people who have other ethical values.
- Moral standards effectively determine people's expectations of what they can count on.

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