An Analysis of Moral Motives in Economic and Social Decisions

57 Pages Posted: 17 Jan 2024

See all articles by Marc Fleurbaey

Marc Fleurbaey

Paris School of Economics

Ravi Kanbur

Cornell University; Cornell SC Johnson College of Business; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Dennis J. Snower

University of Kiel - Institute for World Economics (IfW); Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Abstract

We present an analysis of moral motives as psychological instruments inducing people to solve collective action problems. Different social contexts are associated with different collective action problems, which call for different cooperative relationships and related moral motives. Cooperative contexts, associated with positive externalities, call for moral motives that reward people for promoting the common good, thereby enabling them to internalize the positive externalities. Competitive contexts, associated with negative externalities, call for moral motives that discourage people from harming one another, thereby promoting the internalization of the negative externalities. Group formation may be influenced by in-group social norms.

Keywords: moral norms, moral behavior, public good, social competition, group formation

Suggested Citation

Fleurbaey, Marc and Kanbur, Ravi and Snower, Dennis J., An Analysis of Moral Motives in Economic and Social Decisions. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4697702 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4697702

Marc Fleurbaey (Contact Author)

Paris School of Economics ( email )

48 Boulevard Jourdan
Paris, 75014 75014
France

Ravi Kanbur

Cornell University ( email )

301-J Warren Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
United States
607-255-7966 (Phone)
607-255-9984 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.kanbur.dyson.cornell.edu

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14850
United States

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Dennis J. Snower

University of Kiel - Institute for World Economics (IfW) ( email )

Duesternbrooker Weg 120
D-24118 Kiel
Germany
+49+431-8814-235 (Phone)

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

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