Suppose I say “I prefer state X to Z, and don’t express a preference between X and Y, or between Y and Z.” I am not saying that X and Y are equivalent; I am merely refusing to judge.
If the result of that partial preference is that you start with Z and then decline the sequence of trades Z->Y->X, then you got dutch booked.
Otoh, maybe you want to accept the sequence Z->Y->X if you expect both trades to be offered, but decline each in isolation? But then your decision procedure is dynamically inconsistent: Standing at Z and expecting both trade offers, you have to precommit to using a different algorithm to evaluate the Y->X trade than you will want to use once you have Y.
I think I see the point about dynamic inconsistency. It might be that “I got to state Y from Z” will alter my decisionmaking about Y versus X.
I suppose it means that my decision of what to do in state Y no longer depends purely on consequences, but also on history, at which point they revoke my consequentialist party membership.
But why is that so terrible? It’s a little weird, but I’m not sure it’s actually inconsistent or violates any of my moral beliefs. I have all sorts of moral beliefs about ownership and rights that are history-dependent so it’s not like history-dependence is a new strange thing.
If the result of that partial preference is that you start with Z and then decline the sequence of trades Z->Y->X, then you got dutch booked.
Otoh, maybe you want to accept the sequence Z->Y->X if you expect both trades to be offered, but decline each in isolation? But then your decision procedure is dynamically inconsistent: Standing at Z and expecting both trade offers, you have to precommit to using a different algorithm to evaluate the Y->X trade than you will want to use once you have Y.
I think I see the point about dynamic inconsistency. It might be that “I got to state Y from Z” will alter my decisionmaking about Y versus X.
I suppose it means that my decision of what to do in state Y no longer depends purely on consequences, but also on history, at which point they revoke my consequentialist party membership.
But why is that so terrible? It’s a little weird, but I’m not sure it’s actually inconsistent or violates any of my moral beliefs. I have all sorts of moral beliefs about ownership and rights that are history-dependent so it’s not like history-dependence is a new strange thing.