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Causal Decision Theory (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

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Causal decision theory adopts principles of rational choice that attend to an act’s consequences. It maintains that an account of rational choice must use causality to identify the considerations that make a choice rational. Given a set of options constituting a decision problem, decision theory recommends an option that maximizes utility, that is, an option whose utility equals or exceeds the utility of every other option. It evaluates an option’s utility by calculating the option’s expected utility. It uses probabilities and utilities of an option’s possible outcomes to define an option’s expected utility. The probabilities depend on the option. Causal decision theory takes the dependence to be causal rather than merely evidential. This essay explains causal decision theory, reviews its history, describes current research in causal decision theory, and surveys the theory’s philosophical foundations. The literature on causal decision theory is vast, and this essay covers only a portio

--> Causal Decision Theory (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Menu Browse Table of Contents What's New Random Entry Chronological Archives About Editorial Information About the SEP Editorial Board How to Cite the SEP Special Characters Advanced Tools Contact Support SEP Support the SEP PDFs for SEP Friends Make a Donation SEPIA for Libraries Entry Navigation Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top Causal Decision Theory First published Sat Oct 25, 2008; substantive revision Thu Oct 24, 2024 Causa

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