The problem of collective preference is the subject matter of this book. It is particularly concerned with the relationship between the objectives of social action and the preferences and aspirations of the members of the society. The problem is studied in a very general form, and as such the result should be of relevance to welfare economics, to the theory of economic policy and planning, to political theory of the state, and to moral philosophy. A distinctive feature of the book is an attempt to integrate these different disciplines insofar as they contribute to an understanding of the problem of collective choice.

As a textbook, Collective and Social Welfare can be used specifically for graduate courses in Welfare Economics and in the Theory of public policy, and for an important part of a general course in Advanced Economic Theory and Mathematical Economics.