Individualism as individuals' utilities in social welfare function based on the views of Islam and liberalism; A basis for economic policies in Muslim societies such as Iran

Karami, Muhammad Hussein

Individualism as individuals' utilities in social welfare function based on the views of Islam and liberalism; A basis for economic policies in Muslim societies such as Iran

Author

Muhammad Hussein Karami

Assistant professor at the Research Institute of Hawzah and University

Abstract

This study was to reveal the role of individuals' utilities in social welfare function. It was based on implicit inferences of reason and certain teachings of religion derived from library sources. The present paper is to find answer for this question that to what extent the individuals' utilities is valued in the social welfare functions based on the views of Islam and liberalism. In other words, to what extent the distributive influence of welfare cases such as goods and services in increasing the social welfare depends on individuals' desires, utility and preferences concerning welfare instances. This notion which has been known as individualism in social welfare function was initially investigated in social welfare function concerning liberalism such as those found in the views of utilitarian, Rawls and Amartya Sen and then in social welfare function based on Islamic thought.
Finally it was concluded that all the vital elements in the above-mentioned liberal functions were contained in individuals' utilities. According to these functions, the social welfare increases only when the welfare cases being transferred through individuals' desire and preferences. But in Islamic social welfare function which the ultimate goal is defined as nearness to God what enables humans in this way directly influences the rise of social welfare. Clearly, those utilities which can play such a role participate in the social welfare function.

Keywords