Reflections on Arrow's research program of social choice theory

Despite the importance of pioneering work by such precursors as Jean-Charles de Borda and Marquis de Condorcet in the 18th century, it was Kenneth Arrow and his general impossibility theorem that elevated the scientific status of social choice theory into an unprecedented plateau. This paper tries to highlight several unique features of his research program of social choice theory vis-a-vis the classical contributions of Borda and Condorcet, on the one hand, and the "new" welfare economics a la Bergson dand Samuelson, on the other hand, as well as to identify several channels through which his impossibility impasse could be circumvented. It is concluded with several personal reminiscences of Kenneth Arrow based on the author's own experiences with him over four decades.