Nondeterminacy, cycles and rational choice
(2020) In Analysis 80(3). p.443-449- Abstract
- A notorious problem that has recently received increased attention in axiology, normative theory and population ethics is the apparent ubiquity of what can be generally called nondeterminacy. This paper illustrates how nondeterminacy can spawn cyclical rankings. So, accepting that practical reasons can admit of nondeterminacy challenges the widely held idea that ‘better than’ is transitive. As a result, standard approaches to rational choice under nondeterminacy fail to be action-guiding, since in some situations all options are dominated, that is, impermissible according to standard rational choice criteria.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3cf116cf-ba02-45db-b05d-d3fe4b3c7d78
- author
- Herlitz, Anders LU
- publishing date
- 2020
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Analysis
- volume
- 80
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 443 - 449
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85093514166
- ISSN
- 0003-2638
- DOI
- 10.1093/analys/anz091
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 3cf116cf-ba02-45db-b05d-d3fe4b3c7d78
- date added to LUP
- 2024-12-10 14:49:09
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 15:23:44
@article{3cf116cf-ba02-45db-b05d-d3fe4b3c7d78,
abstract = {{A notorious problem that has recently received increased attention in axiology, normative theory and population ethics is the apparent ubiquity of what can be generally called nondeterminacy. This paper illustrates how nondeterminacy can spawn cyclical rankings. So, accepting that practical reasons can admit of nondeterminacy challenges the widely held idea that ‘better than’ is transitive. As a result, standard approaches to rational choice under nondeterminacy fail to be action-guiding, since in some situations all options are dominated, that is, impermissible according to standard rational choice criteria.}},
author = {{Herlitz, Anders}},
issn = {{0003-2638}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{443--449}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Analysis}},
title = {{Nondeterminacy, cycles and rational choice}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/analys/anz091}},
doi = {{10.1093/analys/anz091}},
volume = {{80}},
year = {{2020}},
}