A Theory of Experienced Utility and Utilitarianism
I present a theory of measurement of preference intensity and use this measure as a foundation for utilitarianism. To do this, I suppose each alternative is experienced over time. An individual has preferences over such experiences. I present axioms under which preferences are represented by an experienced utility function equal to the integral of instantaneous preference intensity over time and unique up to a positive scalar. I propose an ethical postulate under which social preferences are utilitarian in experienced utilities.
Date:
2 December 2019, 14:00 (Monday, 8th week, Michaelmas 2019)
Venue:
Manor Road Building, Manor Road OX1 3UQ
Venue Details:
Seminar Room E
Speaker:
Loren Fryxell (Northwestern University)
Organising department:
Department of Economics
Organiser:
Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
gpi-office@philosophy.ox.ac.uk
Topics:
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
William Jefferson
