Rational preference: Decision theory as a theory of practical rationality
Rational preference: Decision theory as a theory of practical rationality
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理性偏好：作为实践理性理论的决策理论
DOI：
10.1007/bf00134210
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发表时间：
1996
影响因子：
0.8
通讯作者：
James Dreier
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
James Dreier
总体而言，决策理论的技术手段是发达的。它有大量的定理，它们可以从公理中得到证明。从哲学和实践的角度来看，许多定理都很有趣，而且很有用。但决策理论并没有达成一致的解释。它的技术术语，特别是“效用”和“偏好”，没有一个明确和没有争议的含义。当然，如何解释这些术语取决于人们想要把决策理论运用到什么目的上来。人们可能想把它用作经济决策的模型，以便预测公司或股票市场的行为。在这种情况下，将技术术语“效用”解释为金钱利润可能是有用的。那么，决策理论将是一种经验主义理论。如果我们想让决策理论作为一种实践理性的理论发挥作用，我想研究一下‘效用’可能意味着什么的问题。我想知道，将实践理性视为完全或部分由决策理论解释是否有意义。我将坦率地说：我希望这样想是有道理的。因为，我认为，如果休谟关于实践理性的观点是正确的，那么决策理论肯定在他们的解释中发挥了非常大的作用。我认为人文主义有很强的吸引力。
In general, the technical apparatus of decision theory is well developed. It has loads of theorems, and they can be proved from axioms. Many of the theorems are interesting, and useful both from a philosophical and a practical perspective. But decision theory does not have a well agreed upon interpretation. Its technical terms, in particular, ‘utility’ and ‘preference’ do not have a single clear and uncontroversial meaning.How to interpret these terms depends, of course, on what purposes in pursuit of which one wants to put decision theory to use. One might want to use it as a model of economic decision-making, in order to predict the behavior of corporations or of the stock market. In that case, it might be useful to interpret the technical term ‘utility’ as meaning money profit. Decision theory would then be an empirical theory. I want to look into the question of what ‘utility’ could mean, if we want decision theory to function as a theory of practical rationality. I want to know whether it makes good sense to think of practical rationality as fully or even partly accounted for by decision theory. I shall lay my cards on the table: I hope it does make good sense to think of it that way. For, I think, if Humeans are right about practical rationality, then decision theory must play a very large part in their account. And I think Humeanism has very strong attractions.