Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Freedom of choice and expected compromise

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Social Choice and Welfare Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article develops a new measure of freedom of choice based on the proposal that a set offers more freedom of choice than another if, and only if, the expected degree of dissimilarity between a random alternative from the set of possible alternatives and the most similar offered alternative in the set is smaller. Furthermore, a version of this measure is developed, which is able to take into account the values of the possible options.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Article 22 July 2014

Jeffrey Sanford Russell, John Hawthorne & Lara Buchak

References

  • Arrow KJ (1995) A note on freedom and flexibility. In: Basu K, Pattanaik PK, Suzumura K (eds) Choice, welfare and development: a festschrift in honour of Amartya K. Sen. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 7–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Bervoets S, Gravel N (2007) Appraising diversity with an ordinal notion of similarity: an axiomatic approach. Math Soc Sci 53(3): 259–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter I (1999) A measure of freedom. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Jones P, Sugden R (1982) Evaluating choice. Int Rev Law Econ 2: 47–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koopmans TC (1964) On flexibility of future preference. In: Shelly MW, Bryan GL (eds) Human judgments & optimality. Wiley, New York, pp 243–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreps DM (1979) A representation theorem for “preference for flexibility”. Econometrica 47(3): 565–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nehring K, Puppe C (2002) A theory of diversity. Econometrica 70(3): 1155–1198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pattanaik PK, Xu Y (1990) On ranking opportunity sets in terms of freedom of choice. Rech Econ Louvain 56(3–4): 383–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Pattanaik PK, Xu Y (1998) On preference and freedom. Theory Decis 44(2): 173–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pattanaik PK, Xu Y (2000) On diversity and freedom of choice. Math Soc Sci 40(2): 123–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Puppe C (1996) An axiomatic approach to “preference for freedom of choice”. J Econ Theory 68(1): 174–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbaum EF (2000) On measuring freedom. J Theor Polit 12(2): 205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen A (1990) Welfare, freedom and social choice: a reply. Rech Econ Louvain 56(3–4): 451–485

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen A (1991) Welfare, preference and freedom. J Econom 50(1–2): 15–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen A (1993) Markets and freedoms: achievements and limitations of the market mechanism in promoting individual freedoms. Oxford Econ Papers 45(4): 519–541

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugden R (1998) The metric of opportunity. Econ Phil 14: 307–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sugden R (2003) Opportunity as a space for individuality: its value and the impossibility of measuring it. Ethics 113(4): 783–809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Hees M (1998) On the analysis of negative freedom. Theory Decis 45(2): 175–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Hees M (2004) Freedom of choice and diversity of options: some difficulties. Soc Choice Welf 22(1): 253–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Philosophy, Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 78B, 100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

    Johan E. Gustafsson

Authors
  1. Johan E. Gustafsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Johan E. Gustafsson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gustafsson, J.E. Freedom of choice and expected compromise. Soc Choice Welf 35, 65–79 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00355-009-0430-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00355-009-0430-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation