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British institutional economist Shaun Hargreaves Heap once wrote: “... that orthodox welfare economics runs into problems generating public policy prescriptions because it works with a picture of individuals as solely a bunch of well-behaved preferences, which they are motivated in their actions to satisfy in an instrumental fashion” (1989, 206). Most ecological economists will probably agree with this critique, because it is certainly true, when the welfare objective shifts from quantitative economic growth to preserving this planet as a life provisioning and enjoyable habitat for future generations. So what constitutes and enhances ecologically sustainable welfare? To answer this question a number of scholars have highlighted the need for an alternative model of behaviour — be it as a micro-foundation for a sustainability oriented welfare theory or as a normative guiding post to direct our concrete action and institutional change. This article will show that Kenneth E. Boulding developed such an alternative welfare approach, based on a communicative behavioural conception over about forty years of his academic career. Founded on a communicative action his welfare theory is based on deliberative valuation.

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IMAGE , communicative action , Sustainability , Boulding , Deliberative welfare

Studia Iranica

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