期刊名称：CORE Discussion Papers / Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (UCL), Louvain
出版年度：2010
卷号：2010
期号：1
出版社：Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (UCL), Louvain
摘要：The popular discounted utilitarian criterion for infinite horizon social choice has been criticized on the
ground that it treats successive generations unfairly. I propose to evaluate intergenerational welfare with a
rank- discounted utilitarian (RDU) criterion instead. The criterion amounts to discounted utilitarianism on
non-decreasing paths, but it treats all generations impartially: discounting becomes the mere expression of
intergenerational inequality aversion. I show that more inequality averse RDU societies have higher
social discount rates when future generations are better-off. I apply the RDU approach in two benchmark
economic growth models and I prove that it promotes sustainable policies maximizing discounted utility.
关键词：Keywords: intergenerational equity, social discounting, discounted utilitarianism, sustainability.
