Fair social orderings with other-regarding preferences

Abstract

We study the construction of social ordering functions in a multidimensional allocation problem where agents have heterogeneous other-regarding preferences (ORP). We show that there exists leximin social ordering functions satisfying equality and efficiency principles. When equality is defined as equality of resources, and ORP are only taken into account by efficiency principles, some of these social ordering functions are independent of the other-regarding part of preferences. When ORP are also taken into account by equality principles, results depend on the degree of resourcism of the social planner. If the planner still worries about equality of resources, some of the social ordering functions satisfying equality and efficiency remain independent of ORP. If the planner departs from a resourcist notion of equality, then social-ordering functions satisfying equality and efficiency must use information on the other-regarding part of preferences.