Choosing for changing selves

Richard Pettigrew (Bristol University)

Abstract

What we value, like, endorse, want, and prefer changes over the course of our lives, sometimes as a result of decisions we make—such as when we choose to become a parent or move to a new country—and sometimes as a result of forces beyond our control—such as when our political views change as we grow older. This poses a problem for any theory of how we ought to make decisions. Which values and preferences should we appeal to when we are making our decisions? Our current values? Our past ones? Our future ones? Or some amalgamation of all them? But if that, which amalgamation? In this book, I present a theory of rational decision making for people whose values have changed in the past and will change again in the future.