The ignorant observer
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: The ignorant observer
zbMATH Open document ID: 1180.91108
author: Thibault Gajdos
author: Feriel Kandil
published in: Social Choice and Welfare
publication date: 2009-06-17T00:00:00Z
full work available at URL: observateur15.pdf
review text: The authors propose an extension of \textit{J. C. Harsanyi}'s impartial observer theorem [Rational behavior and bargaining equilibrium in games and social situations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1977; Zbl 0395.90087)] based on the representation of ignorance as the set of all possible distributions over individuals. Let \(N\) and \(X\) be, accordingly, the set of individuals and of social alternatives (both finite), and assume that each individual has a preference relation on the set \(Y\) of lotteries over \(X\) (social-alternative lotteries). The obtained ``ignorant observer'' theorem asserts that the observer's preferences on social-alternatives lotteries can be represented by \(V(y)=\theta \min_{i \in N} V_{i}(y)+(1-\theta)\sum_{i \in N} \frac{1}{n}V_{i}(y)\) for all \(y\in Y\), where \(\theta \in [0,1]\) is uniquely determined (for a given observer) and the utility functions \(V_{i}\) are cardinally measurable and fully comparable representations of individual preferences. This includes both Harsanyi's utilitarian criterion (\(\theta = 0\)) and Rawls' maximum principle (\(\theta = 1\)). Moreover, the authors defend the view that both Harsanyi's and Rawls' solutions are unsatisfactory, whereas a mix of the two (i.e. with \(\theta \in (0,1)\)) is a reasonable criterion for social decision making.
reviewed by: Ryszard Doman
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 91B14
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 91B06
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 91B08
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 91B16
zbMATH DE Number: 5565991
zbMATH Keywords: economic model of justice
zbMATH Keywords: preference relation
zbMATH Keywords: utility function
zbMATH Keywords: lottery
zbMATH Keywords: impartial observer
zbMATH Keywords: uncertainty
MaRDI profile type: Publication
OpenAlex ID: W2115196860
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DOI: 10.1007/S00355-007-0274-8
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description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5565991