The limits of Consequentialism: An experimental approach

Over the last two decades there has been a complex debate about the nature and limits of the consequentialism. Using these ideas this paper revises giving (altruism) in experimental dicatator games. We use results from several experimental papers plus an experiment ad-hoc designed to motivate altruism.dictator game, fairness, consequentialism

Coherencia y Política de Cooperación para el Desarrollo de la Unión Europea

En la actualidad resulta complicado encontrar algún documento (legislación, artículo académico o demanda proveniente de las ONG's) en que los términos coherencia y cooperación para el desarrollo no aparezcan relacionados. Sin embargo ésta concurrencia no era común hasta que a principios de la década de los noventa tanto el Comité de Ayuda al Desarrollo de la OCDE como la Unión Europea incluyeron la coherencia como una de las directrices de las políticas de cooperación para el desarrollo. Precisamente la Unión, y sus diferentes políticas de acción exterior, han sido el objeto de análisis predilecto de aquellos que han tratado de examinar la coherencia. Indudablemente la obligación jurídica, contenida en los artículos C y 130V del Tratado de Maastricht,2 así como el proceso político europeo, complejo y fragmentado, han supuesto un fructífero caldo de cultivo para estos estudios. No obstante irrupciones tan violentas tienen sus costes, descontando algunas notables excepciones3 diversos análisis se desarrollaron sin haber realizado una previa, y necesaria, clarificación del concepto. El previsible resultado ha sido la pluralidad de análisis aplicados a una pluralidad de coherencias. A fin de superar este escollo inicial la primera sección del presente trabajo tratará de definir y establecer una tipología de los análisis de coherencia, es decir ¿Qué es exactamente coherencia? ¿Cómo podemos aplicar este concepto al análisis de políticas?. Posteriormente repasaré los recientes cambios en la política de cooperación para el desarrollo, entre los cuales destaca la inclusión, de forma generalizada, de la coherencia entre las prioridades de los donantes. La cuarta sección tiene como objeto la aplicación de la tipología de coherencia a la política de cooperación para el desarrollo de la Unión Europea. Para finalizar trataré de extraer algunas conclusionesEn l'actualitat és complicat trobar algun document (legislació, article acadèmic o demanda provinent de les ONG) en què els termes coherència i cooperació per al desenvolupament no apareguin relacionats. No obstant això aquesta concurrència no era comú fins que a principis de la dècada dels noranta tant el Comitè d'Ajuda al Desenvolupament de l'OCDE com la Unió Europea incloure la coherència com una de les directrius de les polítiques de cooperació per al desenvolupament. Precisament la Unió, i les seves diferents polítiques d'acció exterior, han estat l'objecte d'anàlisi predilecte d'aquells que han tractat d'examinar la coherència. Indubtablement l'obligació jurídica, continguda en els articles C i 130V del Tractat de Maastricht, 2 així com el procés polític europeu, complex i fragmentat, han suposat un fructífer brou de cultiu per a aquests estudis. No obstant irrupcions tan violentes tenen els seus costos, descomptant algunes notables excepciones3 diverses anàlisis es van desenvolupar sense haver fet una prèvia, i necessària, clarificació del concepte. el previsible resultat ha estat la pluralitat d'anàlisi aplicats a una pluralitat de coherències. Per tal de superar aquest escull inicial la primera secció d'aquest treball tractarà de definir i establir una tipologia de les anàlisis de coherència, és a dir Què és exactament coherència? Com podem aplicar aquest concepte a l'anàlisi de polítiques?. Posteriorment repassaré els recents canvis en la política de cooperació per al desenvolupament, entre els quals destaca la inclusió, de manera generalitzada, de la coherència entre les prioritats dels donants. La quarta secció té com a objecte l'aplicació de la tipologia de coherència a la política de cooperació per al desenvolupament de la Unió Europea. per finalitzar intentaré extreure algunes conclusion

Germination, initial growth, and biomass allocation in three native Cerrado species

The parameters of germination, initial growth, and biomass allocation of three native plant species of Cerrado (Copaifera langsdorffii, Dipteryx alata and Kielmeyera coriacea) were established. The species had germination percentages above 88% and average germination times longer than 139 hours. The average time for the opening of the first leaf pair was more than 538 hours for all three species. The average root length of C. langsdorffii and D. alata seedlings after 80 days of growth was around 40 cm, four times larger than the average shoot length (< 10 cm), although the root and shoot biomasses were similar for both species. The average root length (> 20 cm) of K. coriacea seedlings was four times larger than the average shoot length (< 5 cm), and the root biomass was 243% greater than the shoot biomass. Increase in seedling biomass was sustained primarily by the cotyledons in C. langsdorffii and D. alata, which acted as reserve organs and showed progressive weight reductions. Increase in seedling biomass in K. coriacea was sustained primarily by photosynthesis, since the cotyledons showed no significant weight reduction, acting primarily as photosynthetic organs. The length of the root systems was at least four times larger than the length of the shoots parts in all three species. Higher investment in root length rather than in root biomass suggest that the initial growth of these species is primarily to ensure access to water resources, apparently putting off the function of the radicular system as storage organ

The limits of consequentialism: an experimental approach

In a series of influential papers, Samuel Scheffler argues in favour of an agent-centred prerogative that limits the demands of consequentialism while defending the personal standpoint. More recently, Tim Mulgan has proposed another prerogative as part of a comprehensive consequentialist theory which attempts to deal adequately with some of the problems of Scheffler’s hybrid theory. In both cases, prerogatives are held to be grounded in intuitions or considered moral judgements. But is this really so? In this article we perform two economic experiments using a dictator game in which individuals must make a moral decision –to give or not to give an amount of money to poor people in the Third World. A questionnaire in which the subjects are asked about the reasons for their decision shows that, at least in this case, the prerogatives appear to form part of individuals’ moral decisions. The dictator game provides a useful tool to deal with the narrow reflective equilibrium model; a model which deserves greater interest than it has thus far been given. Experimental economics can be of great utility in approaching the moral intuitions of people

Personal identity. A theoretical and experimental analysis

Published as article in: Journal of Economic Methodology, 2010, vol. 17, issue 3, pages 261-275.dictator game, game theory, personal identity, experiments

Gender based prescriptions: evidence for altruism

This paper analyzes the way in which men and women are expected to behave differently in an experimental situation. To do so, we concentrate on a single topic: altruism. Since the dictator game provides the most suitable design for studying altruism and generosity in the lab setting, we use a modified version to study the beliefs involved in the game. Our results are substantial: men and women are expected to behave differently and both believe that women are more generous. These two premises affect their behavior.prescriptions, dictator game, beliefs, generosity, gender

Moral distance in dictators games

We perform an experimental investigation using a dictator game in which individuals must make a moral decision —to give or not to give an amount of money to poor people in the Third World. A questionnaire in which the subjects are asked about the reasons for their decision shows that, at least in this case, moral motivations carry a heavy weight in the decision: the majority of dictators give the money for reasons of a consequentialist nature. Based on the results presented here and of other analogous experiments, we conclude that dicator behavior can be understood in terms of moral distance rather than social distance and that it systematically deviates from the egoism assumption in economic models and game theory

Moral distance in dictator games

We perform an experimental investigation using a dictator game in which individuals must make a moral decision — to give or not to give an amount of money to poor people in the Third World. A questionnaire in which the subjects are asked about the reasons for their decision shows that, at least in this case, moral motivations carry a heavy weight in the decision: the majority of dictators give the money for reasons of a consequentialist nature. Based on the results presented here and of other analogous experiments, we conclude that dicator behavior can be understood in terms of moral distance rather than social distance and that it systematically deviates from the egoism assumption in economic models and game theory

El campus virtual de la U.N.Cuyo : un espacio interactivo de aprendizaje : proyecto pedagógico con modalidad a distancia para la terminalidad de estudios de EGB3 y Educación Polimodal EDITEP

Este libro describe el Campus Virtual de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, diseñado como plataforma informática para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje. Se editó como material de aprendizaje destinado al personal de seguridad pública de la Provincia de Mendoza en el marco del proyecto pedagógico con modalidad a distancia para la terminalidad de estudios de EGB3 y Educación Polimodal –EDITEP–, implementado a partir de la firma del Convenio entre la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo y el Gobierno de la Provincia de Mendoza, en octubre de 2003