John Harsanyi's contributions to social choice and welfare economics

This article provides an overview of John Harsanyi's contributions to Social Choice and Welfare Economics.This article is a slightly expanded version of remarks I made on July 9, 1994 when I introduced John Harsanyi's address (which follows in this same issue) to the meetings of the Society for Social Choice and Welfare in Rochester, New York. In preparing my remarks for publication I have tried to keep the conversational tone of the original presentation but have added references for the reader's convenience. At the time of the meetings I had not anticipated publishing my introduction. When a few months later Maurice Salles asked if I would write up my remarks, I had to do so from memory, not having kept the notes I used to make my presentation. Subsequent to the Rochester meetings, Professor Harsanyi was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and I am pleased to add my congratulations to him for this honour in the form of this introduction to his research in Social Choice and Welfare Economics. Research support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is gratefully acknowledged.