Economics of Social Justice

Economics of Social Justice
WS 2007/2008

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Neumärker

Lecture

Time: Tuesday 10 - 12h
Place: HS 1019, KG I

Tutorial

Time: Monday 14 - 16h
Place: HS 1139, KG I

Start

Lecture: First week.
Tutorial: Second week.

Target Group

• Lecture and Tutorial for Integrated Master Programs / Master of Economics and Politics: Second-year course.
• Hauptstudium, Pflichtfach "Wirtschaftspolitik: Ordnungspolitik"; Pflichtwahlfächer "Ordnungs- und Wettbewerbspolitik", "Sozialpolitik".
• Hörer anderer Fakultäten.

Credits

IMP:

• 4 Credit Points (exam without tutorial).
• 6 Credit Points (exam including tutorial).

Diploma: Creditable to Pflichtfach "Wirtschaftspolitik: Ordnungspolitik", Pflichtwahlfächer "Ordnungs- und Wettbewerbspolitik", "Sozialpolitik".

• 4 Credit Points (exam without tutorial).
• 6 Credit Points (exam including tutorial).

Other students: 6 Credit Points equivalent (exam including tutorial).

Downloads

Lecture:

• Outline and References. 
• Script Parts I - II.4.
• Script Part III.5.

Tutorial:

• Outline.
• Readings.

Outline and Introductory References

Outline

Practical policy choices involve sacrificing the well-being and the means of some for the benefits of others, as compared with alternatives that could have been chosen. Even if it is not the only thing that matters, the problem of distributive justice is essential, omnipresent and inevitable. Economists not only have failed to answer the questions of the just distribution, but have tried harder to avoid the problem than to solve it. They have a great deal to say about efficiency and potential compensation, but they are nearly silent concerning meaningful principles of justice and their effects on economic policy. One has to integrate the following normative and positive aspects of justice into the analysis of economic policy: Is social justice equality? Why (or why not)? Among whom? Is equality to each according to her abilities, her work or her consumption? Or else is it equality of opportunities, liberties, powers and/or rights? Do we need a just process or a just outcome of policy making? What are the most important elements of a just constitution? How is the reason of just rules applied to daily economic policy?

1. Introduction
2. Basic Issues and Theoretical Foundations
3. Modern Concepts of Economic Justice
4. Applications

References

• Binmore, K.: Natural Justice, Oxford et al. 2005.
• Kolm, S.-C.: Modern Theories of Justice, Cambridge/MA 1996.
• Mueller, D.C.: Public Choice III, Cambridge 2003.
• Roemer, J.E.: Theories of Distributive Justice, Cambridge/MA 1996.
• Young, H.P.: Equity in Theory and Practice, Princeton/NJ 1994.