Thanks for your answer. I think we mostly agree—I’d welcome metrics on stability and sustainability; and I guess we’d also agree that weighting welfare metrics by some inequality index might yield a useful proxy to capture things like hedonic adaptation and decreasing marginal utility of consumption.
Since you asked for feedback, I’ll try to briefly add some thoughts:
a) People often value equality per se (well, we’re comparing ourselves to others all the time); that’s likely explained by our evolutionary past in egalitarian hunter-gatherer tribes. b) This doesn’t mean equality is a moral good in itself (though some will advocate it is), but it does mean it’s quite relevant for social stability.
c) I’d be particularly worried about how things like elite overproduction might jeopardize stability ( I don’t endorse Turchin’s dismal predictions, though).
Thanks for your answer. I think we mostly agree—I’d welcome metrics on stability and sustainability; and I guess we’d also agree that weighting welfare metrics by some inequality index might yield a useful proxy to capture things like hedonic adaptation and decreasing marginal utility of consumption.
Since you asked for feedback, I’ll try to briefly add some thoughts:
a) People often value equality per se (well, we’re comparing ourselves to others all the time); that’s likely explained by our evolutionary past in egalitarian hunter-gatherer tribes.
b) This doesn’t mean equality is a moral good in itself (though some will advocate it is), but it does mean it’s quite relevant for social stability.
c) I’d be particularly worried about how things like elite overproduction might jeopardize stability ( I don’t endorse Turchin’s dismal predictions, though).