valuimus

Valimus is a hypothetical unit of value used in thought experiments and speculative discussions to compare outcomes in decision theory and ethics. In this context, a valuimus represents a scalar measure of the worth assigned to an outcome by an agent or by a population, enabling comparisons across different options, times, and individuals within a formal model.

Etymology and origin: The name valuimus draws on Latin roots related to value and worth and has been adopted in modern theoretical and fictional writings to denote a standardized valuation unit. It is not an established physical or financial unit.

Definition and properties: A valuimus is defined within a model by a social-welfare function or utility framework. It is typically nondimensional and model-dependent; its scale and interpretation vary with the normative assumptions chosen. It is not directly observable in the real world.

Applications: Valimus appears in discussions of distributive justice, policy evaluation, and AI alignment thought experiments, where a common scale helps compare heterogeneous outcomes, such as lives saved, well-being, or preference satisfaction. It is intended as an aid for reasoning, not as a prescription.

Limitations: As a normative tool, valuimus inherits the subjectivity of the underlying assumptions. Different communities may assign different weights, and aggregating across individuals can obscure distributional effects and heterogeneity. Empirical validation is not straightforward.

Relationship to other concepts: It is related to but distinct from utility, welfare, or quality-adjusted life years. Unlike measurable units, valuimus is a conceptual tool.

See also: utility, welfare economics, QALY, ethical measurement, decision theory.