Ambiguity,pessimism, and rational religious choice |
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Authors: | Tigran Melkonyan Mark Pingle |
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Institution: | (1) Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, USA |
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Abstract: | Using a subclass of the α-maximin expected-utility preference model, in which the decision maker’s degree of ambiguity and degree of pessimism are
each parameterized, we present a theory of religious choice in the Pascalian decision theory tradition, one that can resolve
dilemmas, address the “many Gods objection,” and address the ambiguity inherent in religious choice. Parameterizing both the
degree of ambiguity and the degree of pessimism allows one to examine how the two interact to impact choice, which is useful
regardless of the application. Applying this model to religious choice is a move beyond subjective expected-utility theory,
allowing us to show that a change in either the degree of ambiguity or the degree of pessimism can lead a decision maker to
“convert” from one religion to another. |
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Keywords: | |
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