Economics as applied ethics : value judgements in welfare economics /: value judgements in welfare economics. (2011)

• Record Type: Book
• Further Information: Note: Wilfred Beckerman.
• Authors: Beckerman, Wilfred
• Contents: Cover; Contents; List of Figures; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1 Fact or Value? A Simple Example: Sustainable Development and the Discount Rate; 1.1 Fact or value? An illustration; 1.2 Enter the 'values'; 1.3 Uncertainty and the role of intuition; 1.4 Conclusions; 2 Positive Propositions and Value Judgements; 2.1 Welfare economics and public policy; 2.2 Positive and normative economics; 2.3 Value judgements; 2.4 Value judgements in personal choice; 3 Fact and Value in Welfare Economics; 3.1 The construction of normative economics; 3.2 Value judgements in public policy 3.3 Example I: the equality-efficiency conflict3.4 Example II: the conflict between price stability and full employment; 3.5 Example III: 'Fair Trade'; 3.6 Conclusions; 4 From Individuals' Choices to their 'Welfare'; 4.1 From individuals' choices to their welfare; 4.2 The 'utility function' in economics; 4.3 Preferences and theories of 'the good'; 4.4 Rational and irrational choices; 4.5 Examples of irrational behaviour; 4.6 Rational but mistaken; 4.7 Altruism and 'commitment'; 4.8 Commitment and standard models of consumer behaviour; 4.9 The road to paternalism; 4.10 Conclusions 5 Pareto Optimality and the Social Welfare Function5.1 Policy criteria: some initial questions; 5.2 The concept of Pareto optimality; 5.3 Pareto optimality and the distribution of incomes; 5.4 The concept of a social welfare function; 5.5 Interpersonal comparisons of utility and common sense; 5.6 'Welfarism' or 'how sovereign are people's preference rankings?'; 5.7 Conclusions; 6 From Individuals' Welfare to Social Welfare; 6.1 What society?; 6.2 Social choice theory; 6.3 The welfare economics approach; 6.4 An example: the 'Summers memorandum'; 6.5 Conclusions 7 Utilitarianism in Welfare Economics7.1 Introduction; 7.2 Utilitarianism in economics; 7.3 What is 'utility'?; 7.4 Main varieties of utilitarianism; 7.5 Preview of main criticisms of utilitarianism; 8 Some Major Criticisms of Utilitarianism; 8.1 Consequentialism, 'process' and 'rights'; 8.2 'Special obligations'; 8.3 Conflicts between utilitarianism and special obligations; 8.4 Plural values and incommensurability; 8.5 Incommensurability in economics; 8.6 Utilitarianism and distributive justice; 9 GDP and Friends; 9.1 Limitations on the national income concept 9.2 Economists and the GDP-welfare link9.3 Weak points in the GDP concept; 9.4 'Measurable economic welfare'; 9.5 Other measures of 'well-being'; 9.6 Human development and 'capabilities'; 9.7 Is GDP a useful concept?; 9.8 Conclusion; 10 Happiness; 10.1 Incomes and 'happiness'; 10.2 Why income is not well correlated with self-reported happiness; 10.3 The definition of happiness; 10.4 Happiness and economic policy; 11 Why Equality?; 11.1 The problem; 11.2 Distributive justice in economics; 11.3 The Rawlsian theory of justice; 11.4 The libertarian critique of egalitarianism
• Publisher Details: Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication Date: 2011
• Extent: 1 online resource (x, 269 pages), illustrations
• Subjects: 330.155; Business Ethics; Welfare economics; Economics -- Moral and ethical aspects; Value; Economics -- Moral and ethical aspects; Value; Welfare economics; Value; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economics / General; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Reference; Economic History; General; Industries/General; Economics, finance, business & management; Electronic books
• Languages: English
• ISBNs: 1137285672; 9781137285676
• Related ISBNs: 9780230278370; 023027837X; 9780230278363; 0230278361
• Notes: Note: Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
• Access Rights: Legal Deposit; Only available on premises controlled by the deposit library and to one user at any one time; The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK).
• Access Usage: Restricted: Printing from this resource is governed by The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK) and UK copyright law currently in force.