Utilitarian reward

This chapter examines the utilitarian principle of reward. It begins by considering how a social criterion can embody not only a concern for equality along dimensions for which individuals are not responsible, but also a concern for the sum along responsibility dimensions. It looks at two main criteria, the difference of which can be analysed in terms of the dilemma between compensation and reward. The chapter then introduces an axiomatic analysis of this dilemma and the two criteria and compares the operation of these criteria with those of the liberal reward principle. It also discusses J. E. Roemer's proposal for the measurement of responsibility and concludes by assessing alternative approaches to the utilitarian reward problem, particularly the one proposed by R. J. Arneson.