Question 13.74

4. One often hears of the importance of “process” versus “product,” the latter referring to what is achieved and the former referring to how it was achieved. In a couple of sentences, comment on the relevance of this to fair division as illustrated by the following rough paraphrasing of an exchange between two old friends, Ralph Kramden (played by Jackie Gleason) and Ed Norton (played by Art Carney) in the 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners.

  • Ralph to Ed (as the two are sitting alone at the dinner table): I can’t believe you did that.
  • Ed: Did what, Ralph?
  • Ralph: There were two potatoes there, and you reached right out and took the big one.
  • Ed: What would you have done, Ralph?
  • Ralph: Why, I’d have taken the little one.
  • Ed: You got the little one, Ralph.