Publisher:
The Johns Hopkins University, Department of Economics, Baltimore, MD
Abstract:
This paper extends the expected utility models of decision making under risk and under uncertainty to include incomplete beliefs and tastes. The main results are two axiomatizations of the multi-prior expected multi-utility representations of preference relation under uncertainty, thereby resolving long standing open questions. The Knightian uncertainty model and expected multi-utility model with complete beliefs are obtained as special cases. In addition, the von Neumann-Morgenstern expected utility model with incomplete preferences is revisited using a 'constructive' approach, as opposed to earlier treatments that use convex analysis.