A dynamically consistent choice-set dependent population axiology

Stijn Bruers

EconStor Preprints from ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics

Abstract: Dynamic neutral-range utilitarianism is a choice-set dependent population axiology, which means that the social welfare ordering depends on the set of eligible options that are available to the decision maker. This choice-set dependency allows to avoid many impossibility theorems in population ethics, and in particular allows to avoid repugnant and sadistic conclusions. To make the theory dynamically consistent, the social welfare function contains a correction term that measures dynamic inconsistency. The theory is complete, continuous, transitive, separable, Pareto efficient and inequality averse, but violates the dominance addition condition and entails a weak non-identity problem.

Keywords: population ethics; repugnant conclusion; person-affecting view; critical-level utilitarianism; procreation asymmetry; dynamic inconsistency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D60 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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