A theory of moral authority Moral choices under network externalitites Early draft July 2, 2024., please do not circulate; available as working paper at SSRN
17 Pages Posted: 20 Feb 2024 Last revised: 2 Jul 2024
Date Written: January 31, 2024
Abstract
What determines which behavior is considered morally ideal? We present a rational actor model where people's choices determine the contents of moral ideals. The model shows that, if choices reflect a trade-off between cost and the feeling of guilt, social learning cannot sustain moral ideals that mandate privately costly behavior. Persons with the ability to affect what others consider moral-moral authorities-are needed to sustain privately costly moral ideals. We apply the model to analyze what limits the influence of moral authorities' and what determines the enforcement costs of laws.
Keywords: Morality, moral authority, moral unraveling, moral network externalities, moral choices, moral community JEL classification: D02, D10, N30, D71, Z12
JEL Classification: D02, D10, N30, D71, Z12
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