December 9, 2017, by apysr7

Have Your Past Decisions Ever Been Rational?

Did you miss the Prospective Students’ Philosophy lecture? I am here to fill you in!      

In the lecture, discussion was based around a philosophical paper titled, ‘What You Can’t Expect When You’re Expecting’ by L. A. Paul.

 

 

1. Decision-Making Is HARD:

In deciding how we should act, people make decisions based on calculating the expected value of each possible outcome and the probability of each outcome occurring.

 

PAUL’S EXAMPLE: Deciding Whether to Have a First Child.

1. The expected value of having a child and the expected value of remaining childless must be calculated.
2. The probability of each outcome occurring must be calculated.

Paul argues that without experience, we are unable to predict what it would be like.

 

 

2. Some Decisions Involve TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES:

Transformative Experiences – The experience of something new which has the ability to change someones life significantly.

“People undergo transformative experiences’ due to not knowing, and not being able to know, the values of the relevant outcomes of their actions.”

Paul states that in having a first child, you would undergo a Transformative Experience due to a lack of experience.

 

3. Three Types of Decisions:

Rational Decisions –

• A decision which does not involve a Transformative Experience in the outcome.
• The decision is made by considering the expected values of the actions outcomes and the probability of occurrence.

Irrational Decisions – 

• A decision which does not involve a Transformative Experience in the outcome.
• The decision appears to go against the action believed to produce the most valued outcome.

Non-Rational Decisions – 

• A decision which does involve a Transformative Experience in the outcome.
• We have no previous knowledge to make an accurate judgement of the possible outcomes.
• Deciding to have a first child would be a Non-Rational decision.

 

Find this interesting? If so, come and join us studying Philosophy at the University of Nottingham!

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