Do People See a Problem in the Non-Identity Problem?

An Experimental Exploration Using the Dictator Game

Authors

Abstract

Our actions may determine the potential well-being of future individuals, but also their number and identity. The Non-Identity Problem, a central topic in Population Ethics with broad implications for Economics and Policy, challenges the notion that we must act to prevent harm to future people. In this study, we use variations of the dictator game and vignettes to explore non-experts’ intuitions about the problem. We find that participants’ choices align with the No-Difference view, holding that moral responsibility is independent of who is affected.

Author Biographies

  • Arne Nasgowitz

    Arne Nasgowitz is a researcher at the Centre for Applied Research (SNF) at the Norwegian School of Economics. He is a development economist and his research interests include education, labor markets, beliefs and norms. His work emphasizes experimental evidence from low-income contexts, particularly in East Africa.

  • Pablo Soto-Mota

    Pablo Soto-Mota is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Economic Studies at El Colegio de México. His research lies at the intersection of behavioral economics and ethics, with a focus on moral judgment, fair-ness, and institutional design. He uses experimental and survey methods.

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Published

2026-03-25

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2025): Winter 2025 (Special Issue on García-Portela's 'Rectifying Climate Injustice')

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Pablo Soto-Mota, Arne Nasgowitz

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Nasgowitz, A., & Soto-Mota, P. (2026). Do People See a Problem in the Non-Identity Problem? An Experimental Exploration Using the Dictator Game. Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics, 18(2), 1-37. https://platform.openjournals.nl/EJPE/article/view/27968