内容简介

This work is concerned with the problems of whether a utility concept that is cardinal, in so far as ratios between utility differences are significant, exists or not and whether it is useful, e.g. in creating testable models of behaviour, or whether a merely ordinal preference function will do for all purposes. Some selected highlights from the debate between cardinalists and ordinalists are analyzed, but essentially this is a presentation of fresh elements in the case for cardinalism. Special themes analyzed include the distinction between utility and risk attitude, motivating decisions under uncertainty, multiperiod allocations and complementarity. Empirical evidence is presented and it seems that attempts at measuring utility give amazing results. The book should interest researchers, teachers and some advanced students in economics, economic psychology, welfare theory and themes concerned with human behaviour.

作品目录

Foreword; M. Allais. Introduction;

O. Hagen. I: Absolute Satisfaction;

M. Allais. II: Determination of Cardinal Utility According to an Intrinsic Invariant Model; M. Allais. III: Cardinal Utility: History, Empirical Findings, and Applications. An Overview; M. Allais. IV: Cardinal Utility: A History of Hedonimetry;

T. Ellingsen. V: Cardinalism and Dynamic Analysis in Economic Theory;

E. Grønn. VI: The Short Step from Ordinal to Cardinal Utility;

O. Hagen. VI: A Cardinal Utility Approach to the Theory of the Business Cycle;

M. Kraft, P. Weise. VIII: Filtering Risk Effect in Standard Gamble Utility Measurement; R. Krzystofowicz. IX: Generic Utility Theory: Explanatory Model, Behavioral Hypotheses, Empirical Evidence;

R. Krzystofowicz. X. The Fundamental Cardinalist Approach and its Prospects; M. Allais.