Alexander Pruss's Blog

• Actual result utilitarianism implies a version of total depravity 2024-10-22
  Assume actual result utilitarianism on which there are facts of the matter about what would transpire given any possible action of mine, and an action is right just in case it has the best consequences. Here is an interesting conclusion. Do something specific, anything. Maybe wiggle your right thumb a certain way. There are many—perhaps […]
• There is no canonical way to define a regular comparative probability in terms of a full conditional probability 2024-10-19
  I claim that there is no general, straightforward and satisfactory way to define a total comparative probability with the standard axioms using full conditional probabilities. By a “straightforward” way, I mean something like: A ≲ B iff P(A−B|AΔB) ≤ P(B−A|AΔB) or: A ≲ B iff P(A|A∪B) ≤ P(A|A∪B) (Pruss). The standard axioms of comparative probability are: Transitivity, reflexivity and totality. Non-negativity: ⌀ ≤ A for […]
• Restricted composition and laws of nature 2024-10-18
  Ted Sider famously argues for the universality of composition on the grounds that: If composition is not universal, then one can find a continuous series of cases from a case of no composition to a case of composition. Given such a continuous series, there won’t be any abrupt cut-off in composition. But composition is never […]
• More on full conditional probabilities and comparative probabilities 2024-10-16
  I claim that there is no general, straightforward and satisfactory way to define a total comparative probability with the standard axioms using full conditional probabilities. By a “straightforward” way, I mean something like: A ≲ B iff P(A−B|AΔB) ≤ P(B−A|AΔB) or: A ≲ B iff P(A|A∪B) ≤ P(B|A∪B). The standard axioms of comparative probability are: Transitivity, reflexivity and totality. Non-negativity: ⌀ ≤ A for all […]
• The epistemic force of beauty in laws of nature does not reduce to simplicity 2024-10-14
  Some people think that simplicity of laws of nature is a guide to truth, and some think beauty of laws of nature is. One might ask: Is the beauty of laws of nature a guide that goes beyond simplicity? Are there times when one could make epistemic decisions about the laws of nature on the […]
• Defining comparative probabilities in terms of conditional probabilities 2024-10-14
  Suppose we have a full conditional probability P(A∣B) defined for all pairs of events (stipulating that P(A∣⌀) = 1 if we wish). I've proposed two methods for defining a probability comparison using conditional probabilities: A ⪅ B iff P(A∣A∪B) ≤ P(B∣A∪B). A ⪅ B iff P(A−B∣AΔB) ≤ P(B−A∣AΔB), where AΔB = (A−B) ∪ (B−A) is the symmetric difference. In a footnote in a paper, I wrote about the second […]
• A really bad moral dilemma 2024-10-10
  Here would be a really bad kind of moral dilemma: It is certain that unless you murder one innocent person now, you will freely become a mass murderer, but if you do murder that innocent person, you will freely repent of it later and live an exemplary life. If compatibilism is true, such dilemmas are […]
• Proportionality and deterrence 2024-10-09
  There are many contexts where a necessary condition of the permissibility of a course of action is a kind of proportionality between the goods and bads resulting from the course of action. (If utilitarianism is true, then given a utilitarian understanding of the proportionality, it’s not only necessary but sufficient for permissibility.) Two examples: The […]
• Another argument on the interpretation of Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 2024-10-07
  Mark (10:11-12) and Luke (16:18) have rather simple and straightforward statements on divorce and remarriage: if you divorce and remarry, you’re in adultery. A standard interpretation is the Strict View: (SV) Divorce does not actually remove the marriage, and so if you remarry, you’re still married to the previous party, and hence are committing adultery. […]
• Events and the unreality of time 2024-10-02
  When I think about McTaggart’s famous argument against the A-theory of time—the theory that it is an objective fact about the universe what time it is—I sometimes feel like it’s just a confusion but sometimes I feel like I am on the very edge of getting it, and that there is something to the argument. […]
• Four philosophy / adjacent jobs at Baylor 2024-09-30
  We have four jobs in philosophy or closely adjacent areas at Baylor, with most of the deadlines coming in mid-October:Tenure-track open-area (with some preferences) position in the  Philosophy DepartmentTenure-track position for a philosopher in the Great Texts DepartmentTenure-track position in social psychology or history and philosophy of science in the Baylor Interdisciplinary CoreSenior position in […]
• Special treatment of humans 2024-09-27
  Sometimes one talks of humans as having a higher value than other animals, and hence it being appropriate to treat them better. While humans do have a higher value, I don't think this is what justifies favoring them. For to treat something well is to bestow value on them. But it is far from clear […]
• Laws and mathematical complexity 2024-09-26
  Over the last couple of days I have realized that the laws of physics are rather more complex than they seem. The lovely equations like G = 8πT and F = Gmm′/r2 (with a different G in the two equations) seem to be an iceberg most of which is submerged in the icy waters of the foundations of mathematics […]
• Moral conversion and Hume on freedom 2024-09-26
  According to Hume, for one to be responsible for an action, the action must flow from one’s character. But the actions that we praise people for the most include cases where someone breaks free from a corrupt character and changes for the good. These cases are not merely cases of slight responsibility, but are central […]
• Humeanism and knowledge of fundamental laws 2024-09-25
  On a "Humean" Best System Account (BSA) of laws of nature, the fundamental laws are the axioms of the system of laws that best combines brevity and informativeness. An interesting consequence of this is that, very likely, no amount of advances in physics will suffice to tell us what the fundamental laws are: significant advances […]
• Chanceability 2024-09-24
  Say that a function P : F → [0,1] where F is a σ-algebra of subsets of Ω is chanceable provided that it is metaphysically possible to have a concrete (physical or not) stochastic process with a state space of the same cardinality as Ω and such that P coincides with the chances of that process under some isomorphism […]
• Culpability incompatibilism 2024-09-24
  Here are three plausible theses: You’re only culpable for a morally wrong choice determined by a relevantly abnormal mental state if you are culpable for that mental state. A mental state that determines a morally wrong choice is relevantly abnormal. You are not culpable for anything that is prior to the first choice you are […]
• Uncertain guilt 2024-09-20
  Suppose there is a 75% chance that I have done a specific wrong thing yesterday. (Perhaps I have suffered from some memory loss.) What should be my attitude? Guilt isn’t quite right. For guilt to be appropriate, I should believe that I’ve done a wrong thing, and 75% is not high enough for belief. Guilt […]
• Fun with St. Petersburg 2024-09-17
  A generous patron makes an offer to you. You are to pick out a positive integer n and you will get 2n units of value. You have the ability to pick out any positive integer at no cost to yourself (maybe you can engage in a supertask and name long numbers really fast). You think […]
• Animal experimentation 2024-09-13
  We have an intuitive line as to where the suffering in animal’s life is so great compared to the goods in it that when we are able to do so, we euthanize animals when the suffering causes the value of the animal’s life to fall below that line. On the other hand, the life of […]