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22Decisions in Dynamic SettingsPSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1986. 1986.In a decision problem with a dynamic setting there is at least one option whose realization would change the expected utilities of options by changing the probability or utility function with respect to which the expected utilities of options are computed. A familiar example is Newcomb's problem. William Harper proposes a generalization of causal decision theory intended to cover all decision problems with dynamic settings, not just Newcomb's problem. His generalization uses Richard Jeffrey's id…Read more
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90Decision theory aims at a general account of rationality covering humans but to begin makes idealizations about decision problems and agents' resources and circumstances. It treats inerrant agents with unlimited cognitive power facing tractable decision problems. This book systematically rolls back idealizations and without loss of precision treats errant agents with limited cognitive abilities facing decision problems without a stable top option. It recommends choices that maximize utility usin…Read more
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20Thinking about Acting: Logical Foundations for Rational Decision Making - by John L. PollockPhilosophical Books 48 (3): 283-285. 2007.This book review describes and evaluates John Pollock's view about rational decision-making.
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13Comments on Ellis’ “What Economists (and Everyone Else) Should Think About Utility Theory”Southwest Philosophy Review 18 (2): 117-120. 2002.
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2Mark Kaplan, Decision Theory as Philosophy (review)Philosophy in Review 16 (3): 179-180. 1996.Mark Kaplan proposes amending decision theory to accommodate better cases in which an agent's probability assignment is imprecise. The review describes and evaluates his proposals.
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20Value in Ethics and Economics (review)Philosophical Books 36 (2): 139-141. 1995.This review describes and evaluates a book by Elizabeth Anderson.
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70Conventions and social institutionsSouthern Journal of Philosophy 27 (4): 599-618. 1989.This essay examines views of convention advanced by David Lewis and Margaret Gilbert.
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81Interpersonal utility in principles of social choiceErkenntnis 21 (3). 1984.This paper summarizes and rebuts the three standard objections made by social choice theorists against interpersonal utility. The first objection argues that interpersonal utility is measningless. I show that this objection either focuses on irrelevant kinds of meaning or else uses implausible criteria of meaningfulness. The second objection argues that interpersonal utility has no role to play in social choice theory. I show that on the contrary interpersonal utility is useful in formulating go…Read more
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26The Standard of LivingPhilosophical Books 29 (3): 180-183. 1988.This book review evaluate Amartya Sen's views about capabilities and the standard of living.
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33The contributorsSynthese 176 (1): 149-150. 2010.This lists the contributors to a special issue on realistic standards for decisions.
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16Review of John Kagel, Raymond Battalio, and Leonard Green, ECONOMIC CHOICE THEORY: AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (review)Economics and Philosophy 15 (2): 295-302. 1999.Economic theory may explain the behavior of animals. Its application to animals is not straightforward, however.
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35Decisions without Sharp ProbabilitiesPhilosophia Scientiae 19 213-225. 2015.Adam Elga [Elga 2010] argues that no principle of rationality leads from unsharp probabilities to decisions. He concludes that a perfectly rational agent does not have unsharp probabilities. This paper defends unsharp probabilities. It shows how unsharp probabilities may ground rational decisions
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31Auguste Comte: Trajectoires positivistes 1798–1998 (review)Isis 96 470-471. 2005.Auguste Comte's version of positivism shares logical positivism's aversion to metaphysics.
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307Conditional utility and its place in decision theoryJournal of Philosophy 77 (11): 702-715. 1980.Causal decision theory attends to probabilities used to obtain an option's expected utility but for completeness should also attend to utilities of possible outcomes. A suitable formula for an option's expected utility uses a certain type of conditional utility.
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6Probabilities in decision rulesIn Ellery Eells & James H. Fetzer (eds.), The Place of Probability in Science, Springer. pp. 289--319. 2010.The theory of direct reference suggests revising probability theory so that a probability attaches to a proposition given a way of understanding the proposition. The revisions make probabilities relative but do not change their structure.
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1Models of Decision-Making: Simplifying ChoicesCambridge University Press. 2014.The options in a decision problem generally have outcomes with common features. Putting aside the common features simplifies deliberations, but the simplification requires a philosophical justification that this book provides.
Areas of Specialization
Logic and Philosophy of Logic |
Philosophy of Probability |
Areas of Interest
Social and Political Philosophy |
General Philosophy of Science |