TY - JOUR
T1 - Weak comparability of values as a foundation for ecological economics
AU - Martinez-Alier, Joan
AU - Munda, Giuseppe
AU - O'Neill, John
PY - 1998/9/1
Y1 - 1998/9/1
N2 - The main argument of this paper is that weak comparability of values should be seen as one characteristic feature of ecological economics. The format properties of the concepts of strong comparability (implying strong or weak commensurability) and weak comparability (implying incommensurability) will be clarified. Multicriteria evaluation offers the methodological and mathematical tools to operationalize the concept of incommensurability at both macro and micro levels of analysis. The concept of incommensurability of values already has a long tradition in economics; moreover, we will show that analytic philosophy, theories of complexity, post-normal science and the recent theories of rationality lead with different trajectories to a non-algorithmic approach which, in our view, could be implemented by some forms of multicriteria evaluation.
AB - The main argument of this paper is that weak comparability of values should be seen as one characteristic feature of ecological economics. The format properties of the concepts of strong comparability (implying strong or weak commensurability) and weak comparability (implying incommensurability) will be clarified. Multicriteria evaluation offers the methodological and mathematical tools to operationalize the concept of incommensurability at both macro and micro levels of analysis. The concept of incommensurability of values already has a long tradition in economics; moreover, we will show that analytic philosophy, theories of complexity, post-normal science and the recent theories of rationality lead with different trajectories to a non-algorithmic approach which, in our view, could be implemented by some forms of multicriteria evaluation.
KW - Compensabitity
KW - Ecological economics
KW - Incommensurability
KW - Multicriteria evaluation
KW - Sustainability
KW - Values
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(97)00120-1
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(97)00120-1
M3 - Article
VL - 26
SP - 277
EP - 286
JO - Ecological Economics (Amsterdam)
JF - Ecological Economics (Amsterdam)
SN - 0921-8009
ER -