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Rational contractualist solutions are not perceived as moral
Maayan S Malter1, Janet Metcalfe2
1The Hebrew University Business School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel maayan.malter@mail.huji.ac.il https://bschool-en.huji.ac.il/Maayan-Malter.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|June 24, 2026
Summary
Rational contractualism, like Nash bargaining solutions, may not be moral. Empirical studies show most participants found "rational" agreements to be immoral, questioning the ethical basis of such solutions.
Area of Science:
- Game Theory
- Moral Philosophy
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Rational contractualism, exemplified by Nash bargaining solutions, is often assumed to have moral implications.
- However, the inherent morality of agreements derived from rational self-interest remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the moral import of rational contractualism, specifically Nash bargaining solutions.
- To empirically assess public perception of the morality of outcomes derived from rational agreements.
Main Methods:
- The study presented participants with two scenarios based on Nash's 1950 bargaining solutions.
- Participant responses regarding the perceived morality of the outcomes were explicitly queried.
Main Results:
- In one scenario, over 80% of participants deemed the Nash Pareto-optimal outcome immoral.
- A plurality of participants in the second scenario also concluded the outcome was immoral.
Conclusions:
- Empirical findings challenge the assumption that rational bargaining solutions inherently possess moral value.
- The study suggests that outcomes considered rational may frequently be perceived as immoral by the public.
- Further research is needed to reconcile rational decision-making frameworks with ethical considerations.
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