What assumption is the utilitarian case for redistributing income based on

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The utilitarian case for redistributing income is based on the assumption of diminishing marginal utility, which means that each additional unit of income provides less happiness than the unit before it. Therefore, from a utilitarian perspective, transferring income from the rich to the poor can increase overall social welfare because the poor have a higher marginal utility of income than the rich. Collective consensus (A) and a notion of fairness engendered by equality (B) are not necessarily linked to utilitarianism and could be based on other ethical theories. Rising marginal utility (D) would suggest that the more income one has, the happier they are, which contradicts the utilitarian assumption of diminishing marginal utility.

What Assumption Is the Utilitarian Case for Redistributing Income Based