A Foundation for Universalisation in Games

Enrico Mattia Salonia ()
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Enrico Mattia Salonia: Toulouse School of Economics

No 603, CEIS Research Paper from Tor Vergata University, CEIS

Abstract: I study the behaviour of individuals who have preferences for universalisation. When considering a course of action, they evaluate the consequence that would occur if everyone else acted equivalently, according to some criterion of equivalence. That is, they universalise their behaviour. I develop and axiomatise a model for individuals who value their choices in light of the consequences they induce when their action is universalised. The key behavioural prediction is that the independence axiom is satisfied only among actions that are universalised equivalently. I impose conditions to single out the most prominent models of universalisation, compare them, highlight and arguably overcome their limitations. I propose a unifying model of universalisation inspired by the equal sacrifice principle.

Keywords: Universalisation reasoning; Non-consequentialism; Kantian preferences; Equal sacrifice principle; Axiomatic model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C70 C72 D01 D03 D90 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2025-06-06, Revised 2025-06-06
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