Evidence, Decision and Causality

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Other Sciences, Philosophy & Social Aspects, Reference & Language, Reference
Cover of the book Evidence, Decision and Causality by Arif Ahmed, Cambridge University Press
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Author: Arif Ahmed ISBN: 9781316053713
Publisher: Cambridge University Press Publication: August 7, 2014
Imprint: Cambridge University Press Language: English
Author: Arif Ahmed
ISBN: 9781316053713
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication: August 7, 2014
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Language: English

Most philosophers agree that causal knowledge is essential to decision-making: agents should choose from the available options those that probably cause the outcomes that they want. This book argues against this theory and in favour of evidential or Bayesian decision theory, which emphasises the symptomatic value of options over their causal role. It examines a variety of settings, including economic theory, quantum mechanics and philosophical thought-experiments, where causal knowledge seems to make a practical difference. The arguments make novel use of machinery from other areas of philosophical inquiry, including first-person epistemology and the free will debate. The book also illustrates the applicability of decision theory itself to questions about the direction of time and the special epistemic status of agents.

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Most philosophers agree that causal knowledge is essential to decision-making: agents should choose from the available options those that probably cause the outcomes that they want. This book argues against this theory and in favour of evidential or Bayesian decision theory, which emphasises the symptomatic value of options over their causal role. It examines a variety of settings, including economic theory, quantum mechanics and philosophical thought-experiments, where causal knowledge seems to make a practical difference. The arguments make novel use of machinery from other areas of philosophical inquiry, including first-person epistemology and the free will debate. The book also illustrates the applicability of decision theory itself to questions about the direction of time and the special epistemic status of agents.

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