Preference Change

What we want changes over our lifetime. These changes raise problems about our rationality that have attracted increasing human attention.

David Strohmaier (Author), Michael Messerli (Author)

9781009475792, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 February 2024

96 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 0.6 cm, 0.277 kg

For most of its history, decision theory has investigated the rational choices of humans under the assumption of static preferences. Human preferences, however, change. In recent years, decision theory has increasingly acknowledged the reality of preference change throughout life. This Element provides an accessible introduction and new contributions to the debates on preference change. It is divided into three chapters. In the first chapter, the authors discuss what preference change is and whether we can integrate it into decision theory. In the second chapter, they present models of preference change, including a novel proposal of their own. In the third and final chapter, they discuss how we can rationally choose a course of action when our preferences might change. Both the transformative experience literature and recent work on choosing for changing selves are discussed.

Introduction
1. Preferences and preference change
2. Models of preference change
3. Rational choosing in the light of change
Conclusion
Appendix A: more on fundamental and derived preferences
Appendix B: special cases for commitment
References.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]