Is it Rational to go Skydiving?
December 13, 2017
1. How we would Normally Decide The ordinary way of discovering the most rational action is calculating the expected value of each outcome. The value of each outcome takes into account: The value of each particular outcome The probability of each outcome occurring In terms of skydiving, we would assess the value of going skydiving, …
Is it a rational decision to click on this link? Lets find out
Making decisions is easy, but how do I know i’m being rational when making these decisions? The UoN Philosophy department took a page from Prof. Laurie Paul in todays taster lecture to investigate… What is a rational decision? Well, a decision must weigh each competing outcome of a choice and be able to assign values to what it will …
Is it Rational to Study Philosophy?
Philosophy isn’t a real degree, right? Don’t we just sit around pondering the meaning of life? It won’t have any real-life relevance will it? WRONG Turns out, Philosophy IS relevant, engaging and vital for developing key skills such as critical thinking. What WILL I study, then? To give you a taste of what its like …
Decision time: should you go to university?
December 12, 2017
The decision to go to university can be a tricky one. Fear not, I attended a philosophy lecture which shed light on making decisions and got me thinking about that all important question. Here is a taste of what went on.. Let’s talk rationality Most of us want to be rational in our everyday lives. Normally …
You’ve Been Making Non-Rational Decisions!
After attending Andy Fisher’s lecture today, I had an unsettling realisation: I’ve been making non-rational decisions. My decision to study Philosophy at university? Non-rational. My decision to try Marmite for the first time? Yes, you guessed it, non-rational. That’s because, as L.A. Paul argues, many of the decisions we make can’t be made rationally – …
How Philosophy can Help you Make Decisions
December 11, 2017
Everyone knows that you can always make rational decisions. Right? Last week I sat in on a lecture that convinced me otherwise. 1. What is a rational decision? Rational decisions seem complicated. However they’re actually very simple. All you have to do is choose the action that you think will lead to the best outcome. …
When choosing to eat Brussels sprouts IS NOT a rational decision!
December 9, 2017
‘Tis the season for Brussels sprouts… Although perhaps more excitingly, ’tis the season for the University of Nottingham’s open day! Today I had the pleasure of sitting in on Andy Fisher’s philosophy lecture on Laurie Paul, where I learnt that eating Brussels sprouts for the first may not be a rational decision! Here’s how it …
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 …