Reflections on discounting: some philosophical remarks

This paper touches on some crucial ethical topics that are embedded in the economic technique of discounting. It is structured as follows. After a brief introduction, the notion of reflection is clarified in order to make room for a certain perspective from which the economic practice of discounting might be judged appropriately. Some distinctions are drawn, and some common patterns of argument are outlined, which might be helpful for further debate. At the end of the paper, some proposals for modifications, weighings and adjustments of discounting are mentioned. Finally, an argument why discounting should be replaced by discourse-oriented assessments is set out.