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Updated: Aug 24, 2025
08:24
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
790
Consistent preferences, conflicting reasons, and rational evaluations.
1Department of Philosophy, University of Milan, 20122 Milano, Italy francesco.guala@unimi.ithttp://users.unimi.it/guala/.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|October 25, 2022
Summary
This study argues that quasi-cyclical preferences are not rational because they confuse genuine preferences with other mental states. True rational preference formation involves coherently weighing identified reasons.
Area of Science:
- Decision Sciences
- Behavioral Economics
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Quasi-cyclical preferences, where individuals may prefer A to B, B to C, and C to A, challenge traditional models of rational choice.
- Existing arguments for the rationality of such preferences, like those by Bermúdez, require careful examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate Bermúdez's arguments for the rationality of quasi-cyclical preferences.
- To delineate the necessary conditions for rational preference formation.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of preference theory.
- Philosophical argumentation regarding rationality and decision-making.
Main Results:
- Bermúdez's account conflates genuine preferences with related but distinct mental states (reasons, desires, emotions, responses).
- Rational preference formation necessitates not merely identifying reasons but also coherently weighing them.
Conclusions:
- Quasi-cyclical preferences, as argued by Bermúdez, do not meet the criteria for genuine rationality.
- Coherent deliberation and evaluation of reasons are fundamental to rational preference formation.
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