RATIONALITY, JOY AND FREEDOM

In The Joyless Economy, Tibor Scitovsky proposes a model of human beha vior that differs substantially from that of standard economic theory. Scitovsky begins with a basic distinction between ''comfort'' and ''s timulation.'' While stimulation is ultimately more satisfying and crea tive, we frequently fall for the bewitching attractions of comfort, wh ich leads to impoverished lives. Scitovsky's analysis has far-reaching implications not only for the idea of rationality, but for the concep t of utility (by making it plural in nature) and, perhaps most importa ntly, for the importance of freedom (including the freedom to change o ur preferences).