PHIL 157.001 – Logic and Decision Theory

Instructor: Gerard Rothfus. This course meets MW 3:35 – 4:50 p.m. in PH 328.

This course introduces students to formal techniques for making and evaluating decisions. Along the way, we will explore various models for framing and analyzing both individual and social decision problems using resources drawn from a diverse array of fields including symbolic logic, probability theory, game theory, and voting theory. While our focus will be primarily normative and centered upon characterizing rational decision making, we will also consider the descriptive plausibility of the models we consider as applied to typical human agents. The course aims both to enhance students’ understanding of decision theory as an academic field and to equip them with tools for use in their own practical decision making.

Assessment will occur via at-home problem sets and in-class examination. The required textbook for the course is Martin Peterson’s Introduction to Decision Theory (2nd edition).

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