Analyses Of Expected Utilities in A Causal Decision Theory*

Abstract

Two theorems for analyses of expected utilities under partitions in a causal decision theory are proved. One is restricted to a certain kind of partition of circumstances, and analyzes the utility of an option in terms of its utilities in conjunction with circumstances in this partition. The other analyzes an option’s utility in terms of its utilities conditional on circumstances, and is quite unrestricted. While the first seems more useful for applications, for example in Newcomb’s Problem, the second is of considerable theoretical importance. Comparisons are made with Richard Jeffrey’s evidential decision theory.

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This paper takes material from and at mints elaborates on[6]