On the role of language in social choice theory |
| |
Authors: | Marc Pauly |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Philosophy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-2155, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Axiomatic characterization results in social choice theory are usually compared either regarding the normative plausibility
or regarding the logical strength of the axioms involved. Here, instead, we propose to compare axiomatizations according to
the language used for expressing the axioms. In order to carry out such a comparison, we suggest a formalist approach to axiomatization
results which uses a restricted formal logical language to express axioms. Axiomatic characterization results in social choice
theory then turn into definability results of formal logic. The advantages of this approach include the possibility of non-axiomatizability
results, a distinction between absolute and relative axiomatizations, and the possibility to ask how rich a language needs
to be to express certain axioms. We argue for formal minimalism, i.e., for favoring axiomatizations in the weakest language
possible. |
| |
Keywords: | Social choice theory Logic Judgment aggregation |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|