'Along an imperfectly-lighted path': practical rationality and normative uncertainty

Abstract

While everyone agrees that doing the right thing is desirable, acting ethically can be challenging due to both volitional and cognitive limitations. This dissertation explores the problem of acting under fundamental normative uncertainty, where even knowing all the facts may not definitively reveal the right course of action. It argues that choosing the action most likely to be right is inadequate, as it fails to consider the potential severity of errors. Instead, the dissertation proposes that the action with the highest expected value, which accounts for both the likelihood and the degree of value of different outcomes, should guide decision-making under normative uncertainty. The dissertation further examines the distinction between what is required or obligated under uncertainty and what is rationally chosen, considering the complexities of navigating uncertainty about both the ethical framework and the rational response to that uncertainty.