{"title":"唯机会主义的限制:行为福利经济学中的情境依赖与代理","authors":"M. Dold, M. Rizzo","doi":"10.1080/1350178X.2021.1988132","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT What should be the ‘informational base’ of welfare economics if one takes the insights from behavioral economics seriously? Sugden proposes individuals’ sets of opportunities. This paper discusses his opportunity criterion and argues that it largely neglects intricate problems of context-dependence and personal agency. We contrast Sugden’s approach with Buchanan’s understanding of choice, which highlights the importance of agentic capabilities to navigate choice sets, particularly in situations where individuals face subtle interdependences between preference formation processes and their situational or social environment. This paper advocates that the informational base of welfare economics may need to go beyond opportunities if it is to command general assent among individuals who have an interest in being sovereign ‘authors of their own lives’. We argue that economists who take individuals interests seriously should not only consider the size of opportunity sets but also individuals’ sense of personal agency when comparing alternative social states.","PeriodicalId":46507,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Methodology","volume":"103 1","pages":"364 - 373"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"8","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"The limits of opportunity-only: context-dependence and agency in behavioral welfare economics\",\"authors\":\"M. Dold, M. Rizzo\",\"doi\":\"10.1080/1350178X.2021.1988132\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"ABSTRACT What should be the ‘informational base’ of welfare economics if one takes the insights from behavioral economics seriously? Sugden proposes individuals’ sets of opportunities. This paper discusses his opportunity criterion and argues that it largely neglects intricate problems of context-dependence and personal agency. We contrast Sugden’s approach with Buchanan’s understanding of choice, which highlights the importance of agentic capabilities to navigate choice sets, particularly in situations where individuals face subtle interdependences between preference formation processes and their situational or social environment. This paper advocates that the informational base of welfare economics may need to go beyond opportunities if it is to command general assent among individuals who have an interest in being sovereign ‘authors of their own lives’. We argue that economists who take individuals interests seriously should not only consider the size of opportunity sets but also individuals’ sense of personal agency when comparing alternative social states.\",\"PeriodicalId\":46507,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Journal of Economic Methodology\",\"volume\":\"103 1\",\"pages\":\"364 - 373\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":1.7000,\"publicationDate\":\"2021-10-02\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"8\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Journal of Economic Methodology\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"96\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1080/1350178X.2021.1988132\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"经济学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q2\",\"JCRName\":\"ECONOMICS\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Economic Methodology","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1350178X.2021.1988132","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
The limits of opportunity-only: context-dependence and agency in behavioral welfare economics
ABSTRACT What should be the ‘informational base’ of welfare economics if one takes the insights from behavioral economics seriously? Sugden proposes individuals’ sets of opportunities. This paper discusses his opportunity criterion and argues that it largely neglects intricate problems of context-dependence and personal agency. We contrast Sugden’s approach with Buchanan’s understanding of choice, which highlights the importance of agentic capabilities to navigate choice sets, particularly in situations where individuals face subtle interdependences between preference formation processes and their situational or social environment. This paper advocates that the informational base of welfare economics may need to go beyond opportunities if it is to command general assent among individuals who have an interest in being sovereign ‘authors of their own lives’. We argue that economists who take individuals interests seriously should not only consider the size of opportunity sets but also individuals’ sense of personal agency when comparing alternative social states.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Economic Methodology is a valuable forum which publishes the most current and exciting work in the broad field of economic methodology. The Journal of Economic Methodology addresses issues such as: ■Methodological analysis of the theory and practice of contemporary economics ■Analysis of the methodological implications of new developments in economic theory and practice ■The methodological writings and practice of earlier economic theorists (mainstream or heterodox) ■Research in the philosophical foundations of economics ■Studies in the rhetoric, sociology, or economics of economics