CFP: Synthese Topical Collection: Transformative Experience, Authenticity, and Rationality

Call for Papers: Transformative Experience, Rationality, and Authenticity Guest Editor: Ram Neta, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Description: Many philosophers and social scientists interpret the theory of rational choice as a framework not merely for the evaluation of conduct, but for the guidance of conduct. And such an interpretation is not unreasonable: if such a theory were not designed for the guidance of conduct, but only for its evaluation, then why would it treat expected benefit, rather than actual benefit, as the value to be promoted? But if the theory of rational choice is understood as a framework for the guidance of conduct, then the cases in which such a theory is most urgent are the cases in which we are most in need of guidance. And, as L.A. Paul argued in her seminal work, Transformative Experience (2014), many of the cases in which we are most in need of guidance are also cases that challenge the foundational assumptions of rational choice theory. In particular, rational choice theory is typically formulated in a way that is insensitive to differences between benefits that are expected on the basis of testimony, say, from benefits that are expected on the basis of one’s own subjective experience. Making one’s choice in such a way as to promote expected benefits of the latter kind is choosing authentically. In daily life, we are often sensitive to the importance of choosing authentically, but the theory of rational choice struggles to represent the value of authenticity. Is this a problem for the theory of rational choice, or is it instead a problem for our ordinary thinking about authenticity? Should we reject our ordinary thinking as muddled, should we reject the theory of rational choice as too blinkered to provide guidance in the cases in which it is most urgent, or should we instead try to find some way of accommodating the value of authenticity in some improved formulation of rational choice theory? That central question will be the focus of this volume, which will also explore applications of that issue to a variety of domains.

Appropriate Topics for Submission include, among others:
What is the value of authenticity?
What is rational choice theory a theory of?
What is the relation between authenticity and rationality?
How, if at all, should rational choice theory be modified so as to treat transformative decisions?

Although there is no word limit for submissions, your submission is much more likely to be considered if it is not in excess of 7,500 words.
For further information, please contact the guest editor at [email protected]
The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2022.

Submissions via: https://www.editorialmanager.com/synt/default.aspx Ram Neta, [email protected]