Everettian rationality: defending Deutsch's approach to probability in the Everett interpretation

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 34 (3):415-439 (2003)
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Abstract

An analysis is made of Deutsch's recent claim to have derived the Born rule from decision-theoretic assumptions. It is argued that Deutsch's proof must be understood in the explicit context of the Everett interpretation, and that in this context, it essentially succeeds. Some comments are made about the criticism of Deutsch's proof by Barnum, Caves, Finkelstein, Fuchs, and Schack; it is argued that the flaw which they point out in the proof does not apply if the Everett interpretation is assumed.

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David Wallace
University of Pittsburgh

Citations of this work

Understanding Deutsch's probability in a deterministic universe.Hilary Greaves - 2004 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 35 (3):423-456.
Quantum probability from subjective likelihood: Improving on Deutsch's proof of the probability rule.David Wallace - 2007 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 38 (2):311-332.

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References found in this work

Reasons and Persons.Derek Parfit - 1984 - Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press.
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Reasons and Persons.Joseph Margolis - 1984 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 47 (2):311-327.
Real patterns.Daniel C. Dennett - 1991 - Journal of Philosophy 88 (1):27-51.
The Foundations of Statistics.Leonard J. Savage - 1954 - Synthese 11 (1):86-89.

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