Is the Veil of Ignorance Transparent ?

Theories of justice in the spirit of Rawls and Harsanyi argue that fair-minded people should aspire to make choices for society as if in the original position, that is, behind a veil of ignorance that prevents them from knowing their own social positions in society. In this paper, we provide a framework showing that preferences in front of the veil of ignorance (i.e., in face of everyday risky situations) are entirely determined by ethical preferences behind the veil. Moreover, by contrast with Kariv & Zame (2008), in many cases of interest, the converse is not true : ethical decisions cannot be deduced from economic ones. This not only rehabilitates distributive theories of justice but even proves that standard decision theory in economic environments cannot be separated from ethical questioning.Moral preferences, business ethics, social preferences, distributional justice, theory of justice, social choice, original position, veil of ignorance, utilitarianism, maximin principle.

Is the Veil of Ignorance Transparent?

Theories of justice in the spirit of Rawls and Harsanyi argue that fair-minded people should aspire to make choices for society as if in the original position, that is, behind a veil of ignorance that prevents them from knowing their own social positions in society. In this paper, we provide a framework showing that preferences in front of the veil of ignorance (i.e., in face of every day risky situations) are entirely determined by ethical preferences behind the veil. Moreover, by contrast with Kariv & Zame (2008), in many cases of interest, the converse is not true: ethical decisions cannot be deduced from economic ones. This not only rehabilitates distributive theories of justice but even proves that standard decision theory in economic environments cannot be separated from ethical questioning.Business Ethics; Distributional Justice; Maximin Principle; Moral Preferences; Original Position; Social Choice; Social Preferences; Theory of Justice; Utilitarianism; Veil of Ignorance

Relational Capability: An Indicator of Collective Empowerment

We define a new index for the collective empowerment of populations based on the capability of actors to have relationships and to enter into networks. This index, called “relational capability” (RC), is dynamic in the sense that the weights of its various components vary across time according to how close the population is to some poverty threshold. It relies on a shift of anthropological viewpoint, putting human relationships at the forefront. RC, which can be formalized in gametheoretic terms of networks, paves the way towards the solution of a number of unsolved issues: Reconciling autonomy and interdependence; unifying the aggregation of individual characteristics with the collective level; questioning unjust institutions and political structures within Sen’s and Nussbaum’s framework of capabilities.Empowerment; Escaping Poverty Index; Index; Relational Capability

In search of an alternative to shareholder value maximization

This paper argues that mainstream economic theory, far from providing an indisputable plea in favor of shareholder value-maximization, offers striking arguments showing quite the opposite : profit-maximization cannot be a legitimate goal for private firms. This opens the door for a widening of a company's goal. We argue that it should include the concern of all the stakeholders of a company, and cannot be adequately addressed uniquely by Pigouvian taxes or by property rights. Coming to terms with this broad understanding of a company's goal should imply the internalization of the stakeholders' concern within the legal structure of the firm -- as in the case of the SCIC in France or the CIC in the UK.Corporate social responsibility, shareholder value, stakeholder value, incomplete markets, limited liability, property rights, collateral, cooperative.

Relational Capability : An Indicator of Collective Empowerment

Nous définissons un nouvel indicateur de l'empowerment collectif des populations, basé sur la capacité des acteurs à entrer en relation et à participer à des réseaux. Cet indicateur de " capacité relationnelle " (RC) est dynamique au sens où les pondérations attribuées à ses composantes varient dans le temps selon la façon dont une population se rapproche d'un certain seuil de pauvreté. Elle se fonde sur un changement de perspective anthropologique, qui place les relations humaines au premier plan. La capacité relationnelle, qui peut être formalisée selon le modèle de la théorie des jeux appliquée aux réseaux, ouvre des perspectives de résolution de plusieurs problèmes : réconcilier l'autonomie et l'interdépendance ; unifier l'agrégation des caractéristiques individuelles avec le niveau collectif ; mettre en question les institutions et les structures politiques injustes, dans le cadre de l'approche des capacités définie par Sen et Nussbaum.Capacité relationnelle ; Empowerment ; Indicateur ; Indicateur de sortie de pauvreté

Is the Veil of Ignorance Transparent ?

Theories of justice in the spirit of Rawls and Harsanyi argue that fair-minded people should aspire to make choices for society as if in the original position, that is, behind a veil of ignorance that prevents them from knowing their own social positions. In this paper, we provide a fairly simple framework showing that preferences in front of the veil of ignorance (i.e., in face of everyday risky situations) can be entirely deduced from ethical preferences behind the veil. Moreover, by contrast with Kariv & Zame (2008), in many cases of interest, the converse is not true : Ethical decisions cannot be deduced from economic ones. This not only rehabilitates distributive theories of justice but even proves that standard decision theory in economic environments cannot be exonerated from ethical questioning.Moral preferences, business ethics, social preferences, distributional justice, theory of justice, social choice, original position, veil of ignorance, utilitarianism, maximin principle, uncertainty.

Frankreich

ZusammenfassungDie Verfasstheit christlicher Ethik in Frankreich ist eng mit dem dortigen Verständnis von Säkularisierung und der Idee der Nation als abstrakte Gemeinschaft von Individuen verbunden. Aber besonders in Bezug auf die unterstützende Rolle von Religion und spirituellen Ressourcen für den sozialen und ökologischen Wandel deuten sich Veränderungen in verschiedenen Debatten sowohl in der katholischen Kirche als auch gesamtgesellschaftlich an. Auch wenn die Zahl der bekennenden Christen auf 38% innerhalb der Bevölkerung gesunken ist, spielt die christliche Soziallehre weiterhin eine wichtige Rolle, weil das soziale Engagement der Kirche ein fächerübergreifendes Nachdenken und gemeinsames Handeln fördert. Einige Themen polarisieren hierbei jedoch und offenbaren zwei verschiedene theologische Perspektiven. Eine politisch rechte identitätsorientierte Perspektive „von-oben“, die sich etwa gegen die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe ausspricht und eine links-politische Perspektive „von-unten“, welche sich z. B. dem Kampf gegen globalen Kapitalismus verschrieben hat.AbstractThe place of Christian social ethics in France is tied to the French conception of secularism, which conceives of the nation as an abstraction of particulars. However, prospects for change are apparent in several debates, both in the Catholic Church and in society, notably regarding the role of religion and spiritual resources in order to support societal transformation and ecological transition. Even though the number of people claiming to be Christian has decreased to 38 % of the population, Christian social ethics continues to play a vital role through the Church’s social movements, fostering interdisciplinary reflection and collective action. Some topics still tend to polarize and reveal two different theological perspectives, one ‘from above’ and identity oriented such as the opposition to gay marriage on the right; and one ‘from below’, such as the fight against global capitalism on the left

Measuring the contribution of extractive industries to local development : the case of oil companies in Nigeria

Extractive industries face two main challenges in terms of CSR and poverty reduction: 1) recognize that societal activity is part of their core business; 2) take part in socio-economic projects that contribute to their stakeholders' empowerment and not only to their living conditions. Based on surveys achieved in Nigeria in 2008, the paper presents two societal performance indices meant to be complementary: the Poverty Exit Index (PEI) and the Relational Capability Index (RCI). We show that, while they have fostered the PEI of the local communities, the development projects of the oil companies had a rather negative impact on their RCI. We then identify key variables that can influence positively the RCI and on which a sensible development policy should focus.development indices ; capability approach ; relational capability ; development ; poverty ; impact assessment

Measuring the contribution of extractive industries to local development : the case of oil companies in Nigeria

Extractive industries face two main challenges in terms of CSR and poverty reduction : 1) recognize that societal activity is part of their core business ; 2) take part in socio-economic projects that contribute to their stakeholders' empowerment and not only to their living conditions. Based on surveys achieved in Nigeria in 2008, the paper presents two societal performance indices meant to be complementary : the Poverty Exit Index (PEI) and the Relational Capability Index (RCI). We show that, while they have fostered the PEI of the local communities, the development projects of the oil companies had a rather negative impact on their RCI. We then identify key variables that can influence positively the RCI and on which a sensible development policy should focus.Development indices, capability approach, relational capability, development, poverty, impact assessment.

Measuring the contribution of extractive industries to local development : the case of oil companies in Nigeria

ESSEC Working paper. Document de Recherche ESSEC / Centre de recherche de l'ESSEC ISSN : 1291-9616 WP 1109Extractive industries face two main challenges in terms of CSR and poverty reduction: 1) recognize that societal activity is part of their core business; 2) take part in socio-economic projects that contribute to their stakeholders' empowerment and not only to their living conditions. Based on surveys achieved in Nigeria in 2008, the paper presents two societal performance indices meant to be complementary: the Poverty Exit Index (PEI) and the Relational Capability Index (RCI). We show that, while they have fostered the PEI of the local communities, the development projects of the oil companies had a rather negative impact on their RCI. We then identify key variables that can influence positively the RCI and on which a sensible development policy should focus