Decision and foreknowledge

Journal article


Gallow, J. Dmitri. (2022). Decision and foreknowledge. Noûs. pp. 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/nous.12443
AuthorsGallow, J. Dmitri
Abstract

My topic is how to make decisions when you possess foreknowledge of the consequences of your choice. Many have thought that these kinds of decisions pose a distinctive and novel problem for causal decision theory (CDT). My thesis is that foreknowledge poses no new problems for CDT. Some of the purported problems are not problems. Others are problems, but they are not problems for CDT. Rather, they are problems for our theories of subjunctive supposition. Others are problems, but they are not new problems. They are old problems transposed into a new key. Nonetheless, decisions made with foreknowledge illustrate important lessons about the instrumental value of our choices. Once we've appreciated these lessons, we are left with a version of CDT which faces no novel threats from foreknowledge.

Year2022
JournalNoûs
Journal citationpp. 1-29
PublisherWiley Periodicals
ISSN1468-0068
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/nous.12443
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85143976543
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Page range1-29
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online05 Dec 2022
Publication process dates
Deposited27 Mar 2023
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https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8yy50/decision-and-foreknowledge

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