Rational agent. Self Interest.

[Skanky Burns]

No. I expect you to either know what you have posted here or at the very least have a rough idea of your definition of what constitutes an analysis and be able to reproduce it without too much effort.

[Berzerker]

Ok, but the decision wasn't rational.

Which decision?

[Solly]

I still would like an answer.

Which do you prefer out of these two scenarios?

(1) Your preference is satisified, but you believe it isn't.

or

(2) Your preference is not satisfied, but you believe it is.

I think the choice/question is false.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Eli
The way I understand it, for PA, Kuciwalker and others that decision was rational. Because for me, at that specific moment the value of the toy was greater than the value of 10$. So I did the rational decision and went the road that brings me higher value.

The question is why in hell did someone invent the term "irrational" then, if there can never, not even under the wildest circumstances be a decision which is irrational. Also the part here.... "Because for me, at that specific moment the value of the toy was greater than the value of 10$. So I did the rational decision and went the road that brings me higher value." maybe at best a possible explanation, and as such it does not make all other possible explanations invalid.

[Solly]

Irrational is a decision someone else makes under uncertainty that another person, with fuller knowledge, can see as folly. He may not, however, be aware of the decision-makers lack of information in making his judgment.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Berzerker


Which decision?

Any decision made under stress or fear that causes you to take a course of action which you previously recognized as irrational.

[civman2000]

I don't have time to read the whole thread, but my view on altruism/self-interest:

People always do exactly what they think will make them happiest. Altruism, etc, included. Not that that means people always do what actually will make them happy, only what they think will make them happy. However, I don't think this takes anything away from altruists or makes them any less of good people or any less generous.

[Agathon]

But Azazel, Agathon and others think that a rational decision has to be impartial in some universal sense.

No. I just think that self interested preferences do not make up all the preferences we have. We can want things for various reasons: there is no need to assume that there is one overriding reason which unifies all the others.

I think the choice/question is false.

How can it be false? Both options could clearly be the case and you are merely asked which one you prefer. If self interest was all that mattered, everyone would choose (2), but they don't.

[Solly]

(1) Your preference is satisified, but you believe it isn't.

or

(2) Your preference is not satisfied, but you believe it is

Basically I'm saying that I don't think your preference is satisfied if you don't know it is.

It's like saying "you got the utility of eating strawberries, but you don't know you ate them": it just doesn't make sense.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Berzerker
But that means the analysis was done before the situation arised, it doesn't matter if your impulse for self-preservation over rides your analysis.

Of course it does. Survival instinct is not an analysis. An analysis must involve a rational, deliberate comparison of several alternate courses of action. There is no such comparison when your survival instinct kicks in.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Skanky Burns
Any individual may behave in an unpredictable way. But the unpredictable actions of numerous individuals tend to cancel one another out, so the average behaviour of a group is rational.

Not necessarily. Group Dynamics is funny that way.

[Kuciwalker]

Of course it does. Survival instinct is not an analysis. An analysis must involve a rational, deliberate comparison of several alternate courses of action.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


Not necessarily. Group Dynamics is funny that way.

In a group I would say that people become more self-interested wouldn't you?

[Skanky Burns]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Not necessarily. Group Dynamics is funny that way.

Not necessarily, true, but more often than not. Enough that models can predict group behaviour often.

[Solly]

Originally posted by Skanky Burns


Not necessarily, true, but more often than not. Enough that models can predict group behaviour often.

You think so? If we're going to get into the field of game theory, this is going to confuse things a hell of a lot more