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Freedom and Opportunity

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Van Hees
  • Marcel Wissenburg

Abstract

The article discusses recent attempts in rational choice theory to take account of the opportunity aspect of freedom, i.e., the value of alternatives, in measuring freedom. It is argued that each of these approaches (in terms of fixed preferences, of possible future preferences and of the preferences of reasonable persons) fails to solve important conceptual problems. Furthermore, we argue that differences between measures of opportunity freedom reflect different moral standards for the quality of alternatives, not different conceptions of freedom as such. Hence, we propose to separate discussions about the meaning of the concept of freedom from the issue of determining the value of opportunity sets.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Van Hees & Marcel Wissenburg, 1999. "Freedom and Opportunity," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 47(1), pages 67-82, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:polstu:v:47:y:1999:i:1:p:67-82
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-9248.00188
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Matthew H. Kramer, 2003. "On Being Free without having any Choices," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 15(4), pages 445-471, October.
    2. Rommeswinkel, Hendrik, 2011. "Measuring Freedom in Games," MPRA Paper 106426, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 03 Mar 2021.
    3. Tania Burchardt & Rod Hick, 2017. "Inequality and the Capability Approach," CASE Papers /201, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    4. Geoffrey Brennan & Michael Brooks, 2013. "Buchanan on Freedom," Studies in Public Choice, in: Dwight R. Lee (ed.), Public Choice, Past and Present, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 43-64, Springer.
    5. Burchardt, Tania & Hick, Rod, 2017. "Inequality and the capability approach," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103504, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. James Foster, 2010. "Freedom, Opportunity and Wellbeing," OPHI Working Papers 35, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    7. Ernesto Screpanti, 2009. "A Quasi‐Natural Measure Of Choice Freedom For Budget‐ And Time‐Constrained Opportunity Sets," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 715-723, November.
    8. Sebastian Silva-Leander, 2011. "On the Possibility of Measuring Freedom: A Kantian Perspective," OPHI Working Papers 49, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    9. Keith Dowding, 2004. "Social Choice and the Grammar of Rights and Freedoms," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 52(1), pages 144-161, March.
    10. Gekker, Ruvin & van Hees, Martin, 2006. "Freedom, opportunity and uncertainty: A logical approach," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 130(1), pages 246-263, September.

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