Philosophy of science of decision making - José L. Bermúdez (Nov 21)

Jose Luis Bermudez (Texas A&M University)

Dear All,   

You're cordially invited to the sixth installment of the Philosophy of Science of Decision Making seminar series.   

Speaker: José L. Bermúdez (Texas A&M University)  

Title: “Framing in game theory: The 'I'-frame vs. the 'we'-frame”  

Date: 21 November 2025, 16:00 (CET / GMT+1)

Format: Online, in English  

Abstract: This paper starts from Michael Bacharach’s notion of mode-P reasoning, which is intended to capture the notion of reasoning as a member of a group or team (in the “We”-frame, rather than the “I”-frame). Mode-P reasoners can converge on the intuitively correct solutions to common interest games (e.g., Stag Hunt), as well as on the cooperative solution in Prisoner’s Dilemma interactions. Bacharach sees the shift between frames as a priming phenomenon, brought about by structural features of the game. Against this, I argue for a more nuanced approach, based on a more general account of frames and framing, that allows agents to reason their way into adopting (or not adopting) the “we”-frame.  

Registration: If you would like to join this seminar and have not previously registered, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "PhilSciDec". Video links will be shared only with those who register at least 24 hrs in advance of the seminar.

Info: For more information about the seminar series, including future speakers and topics, please visit the website below.