an axiomatization of envy-freeness

[Karl Schlag]

hi there,
i was having trouble explaining to participants at IFORS26 why
envy-freeness is about fairness. to me it sounds like selfishness. i
could not find any other axiomatization. did i overlook one?

this is about dividing dividing objects among a set of individuals.
envy-free ness means that nobody strictly prefers what someone else
gets. so any allocation with envy is unfair? is greed about unfairness?

none of my axioms is about individuals thinking about why they do not
get what someone else has unless everyone realizes that all can be
better off by swapping bundles. so i find existence of greed necessary
whenever something is unfair. yes, my answer is that envy-freeness can
be considered as the necessary ingredient for fairness.

two problems i had with envy-freeness i have now come to terms with:
- existence: just allow for random allocations.
- social preferences: envy-freeness is not about selfishness but about
own preferences that can incorporate how one feels about how happy
others are.

Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=7174659

all comments welcome
greetings, karl

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Karl Schlag
Professor

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