Feminism, Fairness, and Welfare: An Invitation to Feminist Law and Economics

Annual Review of Law and Social Science, Vol. 1, p. 285, 2005

USC CLEO Research Paper No. C05-15

USC Law Legal Studies Paper No. 05-22

24 Pages Posted: 11 Nov 2005

See all articles by Gillian K. Hadfield

Gillian K. Hadfield

University of Toronto; Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence; OpenAI; Center for Human-Compatible AI

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Abstract

In recent years there has been a renewed effort to ground conventional law and economics methodology, with its exclusive focus on efficiency and income redistribution through the tax system, in modern welfare economics (Kaplow & Shavell 1994, 2001). This effort raises a challenge to the possibility of a feminist law and economics: Is it possible to be a good (welfare) economist and still maintain the ethical and political commitments necessary to address feminist concerns with, for example, rights, inequality, and caring labor? In this review, I argue that modern welfare economics, rather than supporting the ethical minimalism of conventional methodology advocated by Kaplow and Shavell, ratifies the need for an ethically and politically informed economic analysis. Feminists can, and should, use the tools of both positive and normative economics to analyze feminist issues in law.

Keywords: welfare economics, care, justice, efficiency, normative, ethics

Suggested Citation

Hadfield, Gillian K., Feminism, Fairness, and Welfare: An Invitation to Feminist Law and Economics. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, Vol. 1, p. 285, 2005, USC CLEO Research Paper No. C05-15, USC Law Legal Studies Paper No. 05-22, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=846606

Gillian K. Hadfield (Contact Author)

University of Toronto ( email )

78 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C5
Canada
4169784214 (Phone)

Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence ( email )

OpenAI ( email )

Center for Human-Compatible AI ( email )

310 Barrows Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
United States

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