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Interpersonal Comparisons Of Utility
The concept of interpersonal comparisons of utility refers to the evaluation of satisfaction or well-being across multiple individuals, aiming to determine the relative levels of "utility" (happiness or benefit) experienced by each person. This concept is widely regarded as problematic in economics, as subjective well-being lacks an objective metric, making direct measurement and comparison between individuals inherently challenging. Key points Challenges The primary challenge lies in the inability to directly observe or access another individual's internal thoughts and emotions, rendering it impossible to objectively determine whether one person experiences greater utility than another in a given context. Normative aspect Comparing utility between individuals typically depends on subjective judgments and ethical assumptions regarding the nature of "well-being" or "happiness," making such analyses inherently normative rather than purely empirical. Applications de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Utility
In economics, utility is a measure of a certain person's satisfaction from a certain state of the world. Over time, the term has been used with at least two meanings. * In a normative context, utility refers to a goal or objective that we wish to maximize, i.e., an objective function. This kind of utility bears a closer resemblance to the original utilitarian concept, developed by moral philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. * In a descriptive context, the term refers to an ''apparent'' objective function; such a function is revealed by a person's behavior, and specifically by their preferences over lotteries, which can be any quantified choice. The relationship between these two kinds of utility functions has been a source of controversy among both economists and ethicists, with most maintaining that the two are distinct but generally related. Utility function Consider a set of alternatives among which a person has a preference ordering. A utility fu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Weak Majority Preference Criterion
Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear the Walking Dead'') * "Weak" (''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'') See also * * * Stephen Uroš V of Serbia (1336–1371), also known as Stefan Uroš the Weak, King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serb and Greeks * Kenyan Weaks (born 1977), American retired basketball player * Weakness (other) * Week A week is a unit of time equal to seven days. It is the standard time period used for short cycles of days in most parts of the world. The days are often used to indicate common work days and rest days, as well as days of worship. Weeks are ofte ... {{disambiguation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comparative Suffering
Comparative suffering is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals evaluate the legitimacy or significance of their own suffering by comparing it to the suffering of others. This tendency can lead people to either minimize their own pain or invalidate others’ experiences based on perceived differences in severity. Comparative suffering is discussed across disciplines including psychology, moral philosophy, religion, and mental health, with both historical and contemporary relevance. Psychological and moral basis The concept of comparative suffering has deep psychological and moral roots. One framework for understanding this is the comparative suffering hypothesis, which posits that revenge becomes emotionally satisfying when it restores a balance of suffering between the victim and the offender. This hypothesis suggests that observing the offender's suffering—regardless of its cause—should suffice to satisfy the desire for revenge. However, empirical evidence challen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Utility
In economics, utility is a measure of a certain person's satisfaction from a certain state of the world. Over time, the term has been used with at least two meanings. * In a normative context, utility refers to a goal or objective that we wish to maximize, i.e., an objective function. This kind of utility bears a closer resemblance to the original utilitarian concept, developed by moral philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. * In a descriptive context, the term refers to an ''apparent'' objective function; such a function is revealed by a person's behavior, and specifically by their preferences over lotteries, which can be any quantified choice. The relationship between these two kinds of utility functions has been a source of controversy among both economists and ethicists, with most maintaining that the two are distinct but generally related. Utility function Consider a set of alternatives among which a person has a preference ordering. A utility fu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concepts In Ethics
A concept is an abstract idea that serves as a foundation for more concrete principles, thoughts, and beliefs. Concepts play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied within such disciplines as linguistics, psychology, and philosophy, and these disciplines are interested in the logical and psychological structure of concepts, and how they are put together to form thoughts and sentences. The study of concepts has served as an important flagship of an emerging interdisciplinary approach, cognitive science. In contemporary philosophy, three understandings of a concept prevail: * mental representations, such that a concept is an entity that exists in the mind (a mental object) * abilities peculiar to cognitive agents (mental states) * Fregean senses, abstract objects rather than a mental object or a mental state Concepts are classified into a hierarchy, higher levels of which are termed "superordinate" and lower levels termed "subordinate". Additi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
