Choosing expensive tastes
By: Louis Kaplow.
Contributors: Kaplow, Louis.; John M. Olin Center for Law, Economics, and Business.
Series: Discussion paper -- no. 526; Discussion paper (John M. Olin Center for Law, Economics, and Business : Online) -- no. 526.
Publisher: Harvard Law School
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Description: "Expensive tastes play an important role in contemporary theories of distributive justice.  In particular, some suggest that individuals are not entitled to compensation for low well-being that is attributable to expensive tastes that the individuals have freely chosen.  The origins of chosen expensive tastes have not been explored, but they should be.  First, the reasons that individuals might choose them could bear on how moral analysis should take them into account.  Second, the choice of expensive tastes is prima facie irrational, raising the question whether concern about individuals choosing expensive tastes is warranted in the first instance.  This essay considers why, if ever, individuals might choose to develop or adopt what may appear to be expensive tastes, and it suggests that the normative implications of the answers may differ fromthose ordinarily associated with voluntary rational choice"--John M. Olin Center for Law, Economics, and Business web site.
Notes: Title from PDF file as viewed on 3/19/2007.

Includes bibliographical references.

Also available in print.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.