Distributional equality in non-classical utilitarianism — A proof of Lerner's theorem for ‘utilitarianism incorporating justice’

Abstract

The paper initially proposes a non-classical utilitarian aggregation function which is accomplished by suitably weaving around the classical utilitarian function a group of parameters of justice (including desert factors and a sublinear measure of inequality which mathematically favours more equal distribution of utility levels). Then the Lerner-theorem for classical utilitarianism is first proved in a way which differs from each of the earlier proofs presented for this theorem and in the core of the paper also extended to this new non-classical version of utilitarianism.