Eclectic distributional ethics

John Roemer

Politics, Philosophy & Economics, 2004, vol. 3, issue 3, 267-281

Abstract: Utilitarians, maximinners, prioritarians, and sufficientarians each provide examples of situations demonstrating, often apparently compellingly, that a sensible ethical observer must adopt their view and reject the others. I argue, to the contrary, that an attractive ethic is eclectic or pluralistic, in the sense of coinciding with these apparently different views in different regions of the space of social states. I reject the view that an appealing ethic can be universally maximin, prioritarian, or utilitarian.

Keywords: distributive justice; utilitarianism; maximin; sufficiency; priority (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
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Working Paper: Eclectic Distributional Ethics (2003)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:pophec:v:3:y:2004:i:3:p:267-281

DOI: 10.1177/1470594X04046238

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