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An Interventionist's Guide to Exotic Choice

Publication ,  Journal Article
Stern, R
Published in: Mind
April 1, 2021

In this paper, I use interventionist causal models to identify some novel Newcomb problems, and subsequently use these problems to refine existing interventionist treatments of causal decision theory. The new Newcomb problems that make trouble for existing interventionist treatments involve so-called 'exotic choice' - that is, decision-making contexts where the agent has evidence about the outcome of her choice. I argue that when choice is exotic, the interventionist can adequately capture causal decision-theoretic reasoning by introducing a new interventionist approach to updating on exotic evidence. But I also argue that this new updating procedure is principled only if the interventionist trades in the typical interventionist conception of choice for an alternative Ramseyan conception. I end by arguing that the guide to exotic choice developed here may, despite its name, be useful in some everyday contexts.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Mind

DOI

ISSN

0026-4423

Publication Date

April 1, 2021

Volume

130

Issue

518

Start / End Page

537 / 566

Related Subject Headings

  • Philosophy
  • 2203 Philosophy
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Stern, R. (2021). An Interventionist's Guide to Exotic Choice. Mind, 130(518), 537–566. https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/fzaa082
Stern, R. “An Interventionist's Guide to Exotic Choice.” Mind 130, no. 518 (April 1, 2021): 537–66. https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/fzaa082.
Stern R. An Interventionist's Guide to Exotic Choice. Mind. 2021 Apr 1;130(518):537–66.
Stern, R. “An Interventionist's Guide to Exotic Choice.” Mind, vol. 130, no. 518, Apr. 2021, pp. 537–66. Scopus, doi:10.1093/mind/fzaa082.
Stern R. An Interventionist's Guide to Exotic Choice. Mind. 2021 Apr 1;130(518):537–566.
Journal cover image

Published In

Mind

DOI

ISSN

0026-4423

Publication Date

April 1, 2021

Volume

130

Issue

518

Start / End Page

537 / 566

Related Subject Headings

  • Philosophy
  • 2203 Philosophy