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The ethics of social choices and the role of economists in a pandemic

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  • Lionel Page

    (Economics Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney)

Abstract

I discuss here how economics can help policy makers to make hard decisions about saving lives in a pandemic. I criticise two views which may seem deceptively appealing in the public debate: First, the idea that decisions are not hard because there is no trade-off to make when considering lives saved; Second, the idea that economics provides a simple and correct way to make decisions using standard evaluations of the cost of lives saved. I argue that, in a democracy, hard decisions, involving trade-offs of lives saved versus other economic and social considerations, have to reflect the preferences of the citizens. The role of economists is to facilitate policy decision making by clarifying the moral principles people would be willing to follow when hard decisions have to be made, and to inform politicians about the specific trade-offs which would reflect these preferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Lionel Page, 2020. "The ethics of social choices and the role of economists in a pandemic," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 4(S), pages 17-22, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:beh:jbepv1:v:4:y:2020:i:s:p:17-22
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yaari, Menahem E, 1987. "The Dual Theory of Choice under Risk," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(1), pages 95-115, January.
    2. Luigino Bruni & Robert Sugden, 2007. "The road not taken: how psychology was removed from economics, and how it might be brought back," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(516), pages 146-173, January.
    3. Harsanyi, John C., 1975. "Can the Maximin Principle Serve as a Basis for Morality? A Critique of John Rawls's Theory," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 69(2), pages 594-606, June.
    4. Philip E. Tetlock & Barbara A. Mellers & J. Peter Scoblic, 2017. "Sacred versus Pseudo-sacred Values: How People Cope with Taboo Trade-Offs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 96-99, May.
    5. Richardson, Jeff & McKie, John, 2005. "Empiricism, ethics and orthodox economic theory: what is the appropriate basis for decision-making in the health sector?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 265-275, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michelle Baddeley, 2020. "COVID-19 2020: A year of living dangerously," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 4(S3), pages 5-9, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social choice; value of life; social preferences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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