Positional goods and social welfare: a note on George Pendleton Watkins’ neglected contribution
- Autori: Luca fiorito; Massimiliano Vatiero
- Anno di pubblicazione: 2018
- Tipologia: Articolo in rivista
- OA Link: http://hdl.handle.net/10447/362495
Abstract
Watkins's analysis of adventitious utility contains many aspects that are connected to the contemporary debate on positional goods. First, Watkins adventitious utility emerges from a process of social exclusion and can create negative externalities, in the sense that positive consumption of one individual implies negative consumption by another individual. Not only it creates negative externalities on other individuals, but it can initiate a race-to-the-bottom, where individuals waste an increasing amount of money on goods which do not possess any real utility.