Kohei Kamaga, Sophia University

ESOP seminar. Kohei Kamaga is an Associate Professor at Sophia University. He will present a paper entitled "General extensions of population principles to infinite-horizon social evaluation".

Photo of Kohei Kamaga

Kohei Kamaga.

Abstract

This paper examines evaluation criteria for streams of utility vectors of generations with variable population size. Specifically, we axiomatically analyze how an evaluation criterion applied to a single generation is extended between generations. First, we show that the axioms of finite anonymity, weak existence of critical levels, and existence independence are jointly equivalent to the existence of an ordering of utility profiles of finite generations satisfying the properties corresponding to the axioms that we can use to rank streams of utility vectors with a common tail. Then, adding strong Pareto and consistency axioms, we axiomatize three generalized evaluation criteria for streams of utility vectors including generalized overtaking and catching-up criteria. Further, adding minimal inequality aversion, we show that among the generalized overtaking and catching-up criteria, only those associated with a positive critical level avoid an infinite-horizon version of the repugnant conclusion. Also, we apply the results of the generalized criteria to axiomatizing infinite-horizon extensions of the critical-level leximin principle and examine their population ethics properties.

Read the full paper here [pdf]

Host: Geir Asheim

Published June 29, 2018 4:19 PM - Last modified Nov. 5, 2018 7:53 AM