Join us as Professor Kaushik Basu revisits the question of how, and in what sense, can individuals comprising a group be held responsible for morally reprehensible behavior by that group.

The question is tackled by posing a counterfactual: what would happen if selfish individuals became moral creatures? A game called the Samaritan’s Curse (Greta’s Dilemma) is developed, which sheds light on the dilemma of group moral responsibility. These issues are further explored in the context of the environment and externalities.

Speaker

Kaushik Basu is Professor of Economics and Carl Marks Professor of International Studies at the Department of Economics and SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University. He served as the Chief Economist at the World Bank and prior to that, as Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India. He was the President of the International Economic Association. Professor Basu is recipient of several awards and honours including Padma Bhusan (2008), Humboldt Research Award (2021) and Doctor of Laws at the University of Bath (2016).