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SUMMARY:There is no problem of interpersonal comparisons - Erik Angner (Ge
 orge Mason University)
DTSTART:20150513T120000Z
DTEND:20150513T133000Z
UID:TALK59301@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Christopher Clarke
DESCRIPTION:The proposition that interpersonal comparisons of utility are 
 impossible has been part and parcel of mainstream economics for almost a c
 entury. These days\, the proposition is invoked inter alia in\narguments a
 gainst happiness-based measures of well-being\, which average happiness sc
 ores across populations in an effort to represent social welfare. In this 
 talk\, I will argue that interpersonal\ncomparisons of utility are in fact
  implicit in virtually all traditional economic social welfare measures as
  well\; if such comparisons are problematic\, then\, the problem is not un
 ique to\nhappiness-based measures. Fortunately\, however\, I will argue bu
 t that the proposition is a piece of zombie methodology: a methodological 
 prescription that should have been dead and buried a long time ago.\nSocia
 l welfare measures have many problems\, but interpersonal comparisons isn'
 t one.
LOCATION:Seminar Room 2\, Department of History and Philosophy of Science
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