EDT vs CDT

Abstract

The expected utility or value of an action only depends on its causal consequences, not on its epistemic consequences. Hence, as the author argues, evidential decision theory (EDT) is superior to causal decision theory (CDT), in spite of CDT’s intuitive appeal. However, EDT is undermined by the “Why ain’cha rich?” arguments, which is problematic because it calls into question not just EDT, but decision theory as a whole. The author further discusses the relationship between CDT and EDT, along with the problems each of them run into with different given situations. The author concludes, however, that EDT is more theoretically and practically sound than CDT. – AI-generated abstract.