Transcript The Economics of Moral Preferences

Viktor J. Vanberg
The Economics of Moral Preferences
Department of Economics
Bar Ilan University
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
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The Economics Moral Preferences
1. The economic model of man
2. “Preferences over actions” and rule-following behavior
3. A. Sen on “sympathy” and “commitment”
4. The “reason” of rules and the “rationality” of moral
preferences
5. Rule-following, moral preferences and emotions
6. Summary
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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1. The economic model of man
- Two components of the economic model of man:
• The self-interest assumption
• The rationality assumption
- Rationality specified as maximization of a utility function
• Rationality
 Maximization
• Self-interest
 Content of the utility function
- Critique
• Traditional ( Veblen a.o.)
• New: Behavioral and experimental economics
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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1. The economic model of man
- Typical “orthodox” reaction to critique:
• Readiness to modify (adapt) the self-interest assumption
( content of the utility function)
• Insisting on rationality assumption
( maximizing behavior)
- Example: Ultimatum game
 Fehr a.o.:
Enlarging the utility function by including “moral preferences”
• "social preferences”,
• “preferences for reciprocal fairness”,
• “concerns for equity”,
But: Retaining the maximization assumption
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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1. The economic model of man
- My main conjecture:
• Inconsistent solution.
• To include moral preferences in the utility function means to
add an explanatory factor that is incompatible with the model
of rational maximization.
- My reasoning:
• K. Arrow: “Choice is over sets of actions, but preference
orderings are over consequences.”
• Rational choice theory implies an instrumental view of
human action: Choice among potential alternative courses of
action is explained in terms of expected consequences.
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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1. The economic model of man
• According to its instrumental outlook at actions rational choice
theory has no consistent place for explanatory factors other
than the agent’s evaluations of the consequences that are
expected to result from alternative options.
• Moral preferences are however typically not about expected
consequences of actions but are about evaluating actions
per se.
• Moral preferences are “preferences over actions” not
“preferences over outcomes”. As such they do not fit into the
rational choice scheme.
• To explain behavior in terms of moral preferences means to
tacitly shift from a theory of rational choice to a theory of
rule-following behavior.
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
2. “Preferences over Actions” and rulefollowing behavior
- Why is the shift to a different paradigm not noticed?
• Failure to distinguish between
 „other regarding preferences“ (i.e. evaluation of outcomes not
only in terms of the agent’s own interests but in terms of how
they affect other persons), and
 „concerns for fairness“.
 “predisposition to reward cooperative behaviour and to impose
sanctions on others for norm violations” (Fehr).
• Rational choice theory and its focus on single actions (caseby-case choice).
 „other regarding preference“ compatible with maximization logic.
 moral preferences as „predispositions“ are about types of
actions, they are not compatible with case-by-case choice.
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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3. A. Sen on “sympathy” and “commitment”
- Instructive in this context is A. Sen’s critique of rational
choice theory.
• Sen: Orthodox rational choice theory and the difference
between
“accounting for sympathy” and
“accounting for commitment”.
- “Sympathy”
“broadening the concept of self-interest”.
compatible with “minimal version of rational choice
theory”.
“maximizing an identifiable maximand”.
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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3. A. Sen on “sympathy” and “commitment”
- “Commitment” cannot be accounted for by the “minimal
version”.
• Sen’s solution: Giving up the assumption of “self-goal choice”.
• Ph. Petit: “highly implausible”.
- My conjecture: Sen’s problem can be solved (without giving
up the assumption of “self-goal choice” or even the selfinterest assumption) by distinguishing between
“preferences over outcomes“ and „preferences over
actions”.
- Sen: Commitments “arise from selfimposed restrictions on
the pursuit of one‘s own goals (in favor of, say following
particular rules of conduct).”
• Commitment and rule-following.
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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4. The “reason” of rules and the “rationality”
of moral preferences
- Hayek: Rules as adaptation to our “inescapable ignorance
of most of the particular circumstances which determine the
effects of our actions.”
- R. Heiner: “Imperfect agents” and the “reason” of following
rules (C-D gap).
- Comparison of the outcome-patterns from attempted
case-by-case maximization and from rule-following
behavior.
• Imperfectness of agents versus imperfectness of rules.
- Evolved (learned) rules embody knowledge of relevant
contingencies in the environment (“tacit knowledge”).
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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4. The “reason” of rules and the “rationality”
of moral preferences
- The consequentialist (instrumental) rationale of rulefollowing: Rule-following can be overall more advantageous
(i.e. more “rational”) for imperfect agents than rational caseby-case maximization.
- Rational choice theory presumes a “calculus of advantage”
at the level of single (case-by-case) choices.
- A theory of advantage-seeking rule-following presumes a
“calculus of advantage” at the level or rules.
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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4. The “reason” of rules and the “rationality”
of moral preferences
- A theory of (prudent, ‘rational’, self-interested) rule-following
behavior and the “calculus of advantage” at the level of
rules.
• Nature of such „calculus of advantage“?
Psychological theories of learning (e.g. theory of
operant conditioning).
Evolutionary theory („selection by consequences“;
„conjectures and refutations“; ...).
J.H. Holland: Theory of adaptive agents / systems.
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
5. Rule-following, moral preferences and
emotions
- Moral preferences and emotional consequences of actions
that are counter to an agent’s pre-dispositions (e.g.
uneasiness in case of rule-violations).
 Can including emotional consequences in the utility function
help to integrate moral preferences in a rational choice
framework?
- J. Elster: “Dual role of emotions”.
• “as psychic costs or benefits that enter into the utility
function”.
• their role in “shaping choices as well as rewards”;
role as “action tendencies”.
- F. van Winden et al.:
“emotions as an action tendency, or pattern of readiness,
urge to execute or abstain from a particular form of action.”
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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5. Rule-following, moral preferences and
emotions
- A theory of rule-following behavior and the function of
emotions.
- Hayek: “Man as a purpose seeking as well as a rulefollowing animal.”
- The “wisdom” of rules and the temptation of situational
incentives.
 What protects the “rationale of rules” from the opportunism
of situational “rational” choice?
- Emotions serve to “stabilize” rule-following behavior.
• Emotions as “currency” in the calculus of advantage at the
level of rules (strength of commitment to rules).
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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5. Rule-following, moral preferences and
emotions
- Moral preferences as emotion-based dispositions for
following moral rules.
- Robert Frank (Passions Within Reason, 1988):
• Emotions as “commitment device”.
• “Emotions often predispose us to behave in ways that
are contrary to our narrow interests, and being thus
disposed can be an advantage.”
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.
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6. Summary
- Rational choice theory and behavioral anomalies.
- Revisionist strategy: Modifying the content of the utility
function while maintaining the maximization assumption.
- Moral preferences as preferences over actions.
- Preferences over actions and rule-following behavior.
- Hayek: “Man as a purpose-seeking as well as a rulefollowing animal.”
- Supplementing the theory of rational choice by a theory of
(prudent) rule-following.
• Rational choice: Forward looking explanation (outcomes).
• Rule-following: Backward looking explanation (learning in the
past about successful types of actions).
Prof. Dr. Viktor J. Vanberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg / Walter Eucken Institut Freiburg.