We have to make choices, and it is not possible to make choices to maximize outcomes if we don’t have a consistent utility function. Since having a consistent utility function is a hard requirement of simply being an agent and having any effect on the world, I think it’s a reasonable requirement to have.
People say they have inconsistent utility functions. But then they go and make real life decisions anyway, so their actions imply a consistent utility function. Actions speak louder than words...
having a consistent utility function is a hard requirement of simply being an agent and having any effect on the world
I don’t know what you mean by this; it seems plainly false. I have effects on the world all the time (as do most people), and I don’t, as far as I can tell, have a consistent utility function (nor do most people).
People say they have inconsistent utility functions. But then they go and make real life decisions anyway, so their actions imply a consistent utility function.
But just the fact of making decisions doesn’t imply a utility function. What can you mean by this…?
We have to make choices, and it is not possible to make choices to maximize outcomes if we don’t have a consistent utility function. Since having a consistent utility function is a hard requirement of simply being an agent and having any effect on the world, I think it’s a reasonable requirement to have.
People say they have inconsistent utility functions. But then they go and make real life decisions anyway, so their actions imply a consistent utility function. Actions speak louder than words...
I don’t know what you mean by this; it seems plainly false. I have effects on the world all the time (as do most people), and I don’t, as far as I can tell, have a consistent utility function (nor do most people).
But just the fact of making decisions doesn’t imply a utility function. What can you mean by this…?