Distributive Justice, Fairness and Mathematical Economics: the Economic Theory beyond Pareto efficiency

• Grant number: 24/20010-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Economics - Economic Theory
• Principal Investigator: Jefferson Donizeti Pereira Bertolai
• Grantee: Mirelle Fernandes Dias Jayme
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade de Ribeirão Preto (FEARP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research project proposes to study what other theoretical foundations, in addition to the Pareto criterion, can be adopted to make more complete and precise the society's assessment of in relation to the allocative possibilities available to it.The traditional/classical approach is to provide society with a Social Welfare Function, which would be maximized by the allocative choice. This alternative, however, requires attributing greater informational content to individual utility functions than the simple ordering of consumption bundles. In particular, Arrow's Theorem establishes that it is impossible to aggregate individual preferences (which only generate ordering) into a minimally defensible social preference relation.In this scenario, an important strand of Economic Theory inserts considerations about equality between individuals into the analysis of social allocative choice, bringing them together under the concepts of Distributive Justice and Fairness. A discussion about the type of equality that society finds attractive emerges naturally from this approach:equality of results or equality of opportunities.This scientific initiation proposes to deepen the study of these literatures as a way of contributing to the current process of creation and consolidation at LEMC-FEARP/USP of a new line of research that investigates exactly the theme of this scientific initiation project. This theme emerged in a very natural and organic way from the research activities carried out by the student in her long and extraordinary journey at the Laboratory of Economics, Mathematics and Computing (LEMC-FEARP/USP), a research laboratory created and coordinated by the advisor.