Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 What is inequality? The economists' view
- 3 An investigative strategy
- 4 What is inequality? The students' view
- 5 Income and welfare
- 6 Income change
- 7 Poverty
- 8 A cross-cultural perspective
- 9 Thinking again about inequality
- Appendix A Inequality analysis: a summary of concepts and results
- Appendix B The questionnaires
- References
- Index
2 - What is inequality? The economists' view
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 What is inequality? The economists' view
- 3 An investigative strategy
- 4 What is inequality? The students' view
- 5 Income and welfare
- 6 Income change
- 7 Poverty
- 8 A cross-cultural perspective
- 9 Thinking again about inequality
- Appendix A Inequality analysis: a summary of concepts and results
- Appendix B The questionnaires
- References
- Index
Summary
The axiomatic approach
As we mentioned in chapter 1 the standard approach to the problem of inequality comparisons is based upon a formal structure that is usually expressed in terms of precise assumptions – or axioms – and mathematical propositions. So, in order to grasp what is going on and what it is that we are investigating in the rest of this book, it may be helpful to have a brief introduction to the axiomatic methodology.
The axiomatic methodology is a grand name for an essentially simple approach to our subject. It consists of a rule-based system of thought which enables us to state precisely what we mean by inequality comparisons, and thereby what we mean by inequality. The axioms are formal assumptions which are taken as fundamental: they are not derived from even more basic assumptions; they do not have to be based on any real-world experience or observation; they require no appeal to any external value system. Whether the axioms are ‘true’ or not, and what is meant by the ‘truth’ of a set of axioms are moot points. What are the circumstances under which the axiomatic approach is valuable, and what is one trying to achieve by adopting this approach?
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Thinking about InequalityPersonal Judgment and Income Distributions, pp. 8 - 17Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1999