Reading Schedule
| The following reading schedule will be amended as the semester progresses. All page numbers refer to Martin Peterson, Introduction to Decision Theory, 2nd Ed. All other readings can be accessed by following the hyperlinks. | |||
| Day | Date | Topic | Reading |
| Tuesday | 23-Jan | Introduction | |
| Thursday | 25-Jan | 1.1 Setup | pp 1-40 (Ch 1-2) |
| Tuesday | 30-Jan | 1.2 Decisions Under Ignorance | pp. 41-64 (Ch 3) |
| Thursday | 1-Feb | 1.3 Decisions Under Risk | pp. 65-79 (Ch 4.1-4.3) |
| Tuesday | 6-Feb | 1.4 Utility | pp. 97-123 (Ch 5) |
| Thursday | 8-Feb | 1.4 Utility | pp. 97-123 (Ch 5) |
| Tuesday | 13-Feb | 1.5 Paradoxes and Problems | pp. 80-96 (Ch 4.4-4.8) |
| Thursday | 15-Feb | 1.6 Mathematics of Probability | pp. 124-140 (Ch 6)
pp. 141-173 (Ch 7) |
| Tuesday | 20-Feb | 1.6 Mathematics of Probability | pp. 124-140 (Ch 6)
pp. 141-173 (Ch 7) |
| Thursday | 22-Feb | 1.8 Causal vs. Evidential Decision Theory | pp. 206-219 (Ch 9); Egan, "Some Counterexamples to Causal Decision Theory" |
| Tuesday | 27-Feb | 1.8 Causal vs. Evidential Decision Theory | pp. 206-219 (Ch 9); Egan, "Some Counterexamples to Causal Decision Theory" |
| Thursday | 1-Mar | 1.10 Application: Deciding to Have a Child | Paul, "What You Can't Expect When You're Expecting" |
| Tuesday | 6-Mar | 1.11 Application: Religious Belief and Exam Review | Pascal, excerpt from Pensees |
| Thursday | 8-Mar | MIDTERM EXAM | EXAM |
| Tuesday | 13-Mar | SPRING BREAK | |
| Thursday | 15-Mar | SPRING BREAK | |
| Tuesday | 20-Mar | 2.1 Zero Sum Games (Part 1) | pp. 234-262 (Ch 11) |
| Thursday | 22-Mar | 2.1 Zero Sum Games (Part 2) | pp. 234-262 (Ch 11) |
| Tuesday | 27-Mar | 2.2 Nonzero-Sum Games | pp. 263-273 (Ch 12.1-12.3); Lewis "Prisoner's Dilemma is a Newcomb Problem" |
| Thursday | 29-Mar | 2.3 Iterated & Extensive Games | pp. 274-278 (Ch 12.4) |
| Tuesday | 3-Apr | 2.4 Cooperative and Bargaining Games | pp. 279-283 (Ch 12.4-12.6) |
| Thursday | 5-Apr | 2.5 Application: Morality | Gauthier, "Why Contractarianism?"; Smith, "Deriving Morality from Rationality" |
| Tuesday | 10-Apr | 2.5 Application: Morality | Gauthier, "Why Contractarianism?"; Smith, "Deriving Morality from Rationality" |
| Thursday | 12-Apr | 2.6 Application: Convention | Lewis, Convention - Chapter 1 |
| Tuesday | 17-Apr | 2.6 Application: Convention | Lewis, Convention - Chapter 2 |
| Thursday | 19-Apr | 2.6 Application: Convention | Lewis, Convention - Chapter 4 |
| Tuesday | 24-Apr | 3.1 Cognitive Biases | Intro to Cognitive Biases; No New Reading |
| Thursday | 26-Apr | 3.1 Cognitive Biases | Thaler and Sunstein, Nudge - Chapter 1 |
| Tuesday | 1-May | 3.1 Cognitive Biases | Thaler and Sunstein, Nudge - Chapters 4-5 |
| Thursday | 3-May | Final Exam Review | |
| FINAL EXAM DATE | 10-May | FINAL EXAM | 1:30 pm – 4:15 pm |