The Significance of Motivational Variables in International

In a recent article, Freeman (1984) presents a theoretical and empirical study about altruistic behavior. Several criticisms can be directed to the theoretical analysis. The model is not dynamic because the altruist's utility is maximized subject to the constraint that the utility of the selfish individual is constant. If the constant value of the selfish individual's utility is sufficiently low, then negative transfers could be required. It is not clearly a relevant variable that the quantity of a good that the altruist transfers to the selfish individual is equal to the quantity of the good transferred to the selfish individual. The utility functions of the 2 individuals are inconsistent. Becker's (1981) definition of altruism may be a more useful definition, although as argued, both Becker's and Freeman's altruistic utility functions are incomplete.