The philosopher’s paradox: How to make a coherent decision in the Newcomb Problem

We offer a novel argument for one-boxing in Newcomb’s Problem.  The intentional states of a rational person are psychologically coherent across time, and rational decisions are made against this backdrop. We compare this coherence constraint with a golf swing, which to be effective must include a fo...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Hoefer, Carl, Viger,Christopher, Viger, Daniel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Universidad del País Vasco
Repositorio:Addi. Archivo Digital para la Docencia y la Investigación
OAI Identifier:oai:addi.ehu.eus:10810/39739
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10810/39739
Access Level:acceso abierto
Descripción
Sumario:We offer a novel argument for one-boxing in Newcomb’s Problem.  The intentional states of a rational person are psychologically coherent across time, and rational decisions are made against this backdrop. We compare this coherence constraint with a golf swing, which to be effective must include a follow-through after the ball is in flight. Decisions, like golf swings, are extended processes, and their coherence with other psychological states of a player in the Newcomb scenario links her choice with the way she is predicted in a common cause structure. As a result, the standard argument for two-boxing is mistaken.