FA22 PHIL370(02)

Rationality and Decisions (PHIL370 section 02)
Dr. Alysha Kassam
Mondays  ·  5:30pm–8:15pm  ·  LA5–149

Our beliefs, actions, and identity are determined by the decisions we make in life. Although many decisions we make are inconsequential (what should I wear to the party?), others have the potential to alter the course of our lives. This class offers students formal techniques for making and evaluating decisions. A formal method for decision making is an important and powerful tool, since it can be applied to whatever decision we might face, no matter how specific the content. In this class, students will be introduced to concepts and methods from symbolic logic, probability theory, and game theory in order to improve their decision making and to avoid common errors of reasoning. As a result, the emphasis is on applying what is learned in the course to real-world decision problems. No advanced mathematical background is required for this course.

This course satisfies GE upper-division B.