Abstract.
We present a set of axioms in order to capture the concept of equity among an infinite number of generations. There are two ethical considerations: one is to treat every generation equally and the other is to respect distributive fairness among generations. We find two opposite results. In Theorem 1, we show that there exists a preference ordering satisfying anonymity, strong distributive fairness semiconvexity, and strong monotonicity. However, in Theorem 2, we show that there exists no binary relation satisfying anonymity, distributive fairness semiconvexity, and sup norm continuity. We also clarify logical relations between these axioms and non-dictatorship axioms.
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Received: 30 August 2000/Accepted: 18 March 2002
This paper is based on Chapt. 4 of my Masters Thesis [15] submitted to Kobe University, and won the Kanematsu Fellowship from the Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration of Kobe University in May 2001. I am grateful to Jun Iritani for helpful discussions and encouragement, two anonymous referees of this journal, three anonymous referees of the Kanematsu Fellowship, Eiichi Miyagawa, Noritsugu Nakanishi, Nguyen Huu Phuc, Hiroo Sasaki, Koji Shimomura, William Thomson, and Toyoaki Washida for detailed comments. I also thank participants at the spring meeting of Japanese Economic Association at Yokohama City University in May 2000, at the annual meeting of the Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies in Tsukuba in September 2000, and at the Kanematsu Fellowship Seminar at Kobe University in May 2001 for valuable comments.
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Sakai, T. An axiomatic approach to intergenerational equity. Soc Choice Welfare 20, 167–176 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003550200180
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003550200180