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ON PARITY AND THE INTUITION OF NEUTRALITY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 December 2017

Mozaffar Qizilbash
Mozaffar Qizilbash*
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Related Studies, University of York, YO10 5DD. Email: mozaffar.qizilbash@york.ac.uk. URL: https://www.york.ac.uk/economics/our-people/staff-profiles/mozaffar-qizilbash/
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Abstract:

On parity views of mere addition if someone (or a group of people) is added to the world at a range of well-being levels – or ‘neutral range’ – leaving existing people unaffected, addition is on a par with the initial situation. Two distinct parity views – ‘rough equality’ and fitting-attitudes views – defend the ‘intuition of neutrality’. The first can be interpreted or adjusted so that it can rebut John Broome's objection that the neutral range is wide. The two views respond in distinct ways to two of Broome's other objections. Both views can, nonetheless, be plausibly defended against these objections.

Keywords

ethicsmere additionParfitparitypopulation

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Articles
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Economics & Philosophy , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , March 2018 , pp. 87 - 108
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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