A Hyperbolic Secant Welfare Function

Abstract

Here we introduce a formulation for describing welfare based on a hyperbolic secant function, derived from certain intuitions about the nature of material and experiential conditions, that satisfies a number of normatively critical constraints, making for an elegant and satisfactory welfarist axiology. We first introduce intuitions about experiential conditions, material conditions, and their valences; we second make a mathematical formulation of our hedonic calculus consistent with these intuitions; we third make several manipulations of our formulation in order to make calculations in population ethics; and we fourth show how the calculations are consistent with several critical normative constraints.

Author's Profile

Walter Barta
University of Houston

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Added to PP
2024-12-06

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