Objectivity, Priority, and the Veil of Ignorance
CORE Discussion Paper No. 2005/81
Moreno-Ternero, J.D., and Roemer, J., THE VEIL OF IGNORANCE VIOLATES PRIORITY, ECONOMICS AND PHILOSOPHY, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 233-257, 2008
24 Pages Posted: 26 Feb 2006 Last revised: 21 Aug 2011
Date Written: November 1, 2005
Abstract
The veil of ignorance has been used often as a tool of recommending what justice requires with respect to the distribution of wealth. We complete Harsanyi's model of the veil of ignorance by appending information permitting objective comparisons among persons. We show that the veil-of-ignorance conception of John Harsanyi, so completed, and Ronald Dworkin's, when modeled formally, recommend wealth allocations in conflict with the prominently espoused view that priority should be given to the disabled in wealth allocation.
Keywords: Impartiality, Objectivity, Priority, Veil of ignorance
JEL Classification: D63, D71
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation