Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Papers in Economics,
University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics

No 197: Should Animal Welfare Count?

Olof Johansson-Stenman ()
Additional contact information
Olof Johansson-Stenman: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: Box 640, SE 405 30 GÖTEBORG

Abstract: This paper discusses the standard welfare economics assumption anthropocentric welfarism, i.e. that only human well-being counts intrinsically. New survey evidence from a representative sample in Sweden is presented, indicating that anthropocentrism is strongly rejected, on average. However, most people appear to have a consequentialistic ethics, in line with conventional welfare economics. The moral philosophical literature is also briefly reviewed, and here too anthropocentrism receives little support. Indirect evidence from environmental valuation studies seems also to imply that a non-negligible fraction of people has non-welfaristic and/or non-anthropocentric ethical preferences.

Keywords: Animal welfare; anthropocentrism; welfarism; ethics; ethical preferences; costbenefit analysis

JEL-codes: D60; D70; Q50

28 pages, First version: March 3, 2006. Revised: May 9, 2006.

Full text files

2725 HTML file 

Download statistics

Questions (including download problems) about the papers in this series should be directed to Ann-Christin Räätäri Nyström ()
Report other problems with accessing this service to Sune Karlsson ().

This page generated on 2024-02-05 17:11:22.