Rational Decision and Causality

Ellery Eells

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781107144811
• eBook ISBN: 9781316560464
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Philosophy & Ethics in Science

First published in 1982, Ellery Eells' original work on rational decision making had extensive implications for probability theorists, economists, statisticians and psychologists concerned with decision making and the employment of Bayesian principles. His analysis of the philosophical and psychological significance of Bayesian decision theories, causal decision theories and Newcomb's paradox continues to be influential in philosophy of science. His book is now revived for a new generation of readers and presented in a fresh twenty-first-century series livery, including a specially commissioned preface written by Brian Skyrms, illuminating its continuing importance and relevance to philosophical enquiry.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Title page
• Copyright information
• Dedication
• Table of contents
• Preface to this edition
• Preface
• Introduction
• 1 Bayesianism
• 2 The philosophical and psychological significance of Bayesian decision theory
• 3 Bayesian decision theories: some details
• 4 The counterexamples
• 5 Causal decision theories
• 6 Common causes, reasons and symptomatic acts
• 7 A general defense of PMCEU
• 8 Newcomb’s paradox
• Appendix 1 Logic
• Appendix 2 Probability
• Bibliography
• Index