Preferences, Rationality and Welfare in Becker's Extended Utility Approach  

Oleh:

Rogeberg, Ole

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: Rationality and Society vol. 15 no. 3 (Agu. 2003), page 283-323.
Topik: Endogenous preferences; extended utility; rational addiction; rationality; welfare
Fulltext: 283RS153.pdf (250.39KB)

Isi artikel

The controversial extended utility approach of Gary Becker has been used to argue that even 'obvious' irrationalities such as drug addictions are rational behaviour. The present article is a systematic and extensive interpretation of Becker's general approach, introducing a distinction between anticipated time and 'objective' time. Using this, I argue that the approach allows us to see even time inconsistency and decisions affected by drug-induced changes in cognition as rational. The philosopher Jon Elster's charges of conceptual incoherence are discussed and shown to rest on a misinterpretation of Becker. The two types of time also have implications for welfare economics and the ways one might try to justify paternalism. Becker's approach becomes dif®cult to use for welfare economics. Instead, it could be taken to question the wisdom of trying to assess real individuals' welfare through theoretical discussions of rationality.

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